


True Nobility

by KFawkes, stravaganza



Series: kingXman [1]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - X-Men Fusion, Canon compliant (with a mutant twist), Kingsman as a spy agency AND mutant school, Light Angst, M/M, Merlin wins the 'cockblock of the year' award, Not Britpicked, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, X-men Inspired, follows the events of Kingsman: The Secret Service, like seriously slow burn, written as a roleplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 01:52:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 42,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KFawkes/pseuds/KFawkes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/stravaganza/pseuds/stravaganza
Summary: “I’m just here to assess your name, powers, and how you came in possession of a certain necklace with a golden K, that you’re wearing even now.” He paused to consider the boy’s reaction, and then continued by saying, “If my suspicions are correct…” another pause, shorter, looking for and finding the young man’s eyes, “I’m the one who gave you that medal.”Those words took Eggsy by surprise. He remembered the day that medal was given to him… remembered it like it had just happened yesterday even. That was the day his father died. The man that gave it to him he remembered well too, and if not for that memory fresh in his mind he’d have told the man before him to shove it - that he didn’t owe him any answers, especially any involving his powers.Things may not have been as bad for mutants nowadays but he was not interested in being one of those out in the open types, and truthfully being in hiding was one of the only places Eggsy really felt safe. But there was something about the tone this Harry Hart took… something in the way Harry’s eyes met his own, and a vague familiarness he couldn’t shake that told him least of all, he should try to trust him.





	1. Chapter 1

As a child, Harry hadn’t dreamt of saving the world. As a child, all Harry had dreamt of was being _normal._

Back in his youth, mutants had been few and far between. Everyone tried to hide their abilities as best they could, living a life of isolation if needed, as long as it meant being safe. Of those who revealed their true nature, whether by choice or not, very few ended up living a long life. Some were rounded up by the government, either to be studied or used as military weapons, and others were simply shun by society, either disappearing entirely or showing up dead by the hand of some “protector of humanity”.

The stigma towards gifted people had been as bad as it ever is towards the different, the extraneous - the weirdo, the freak, the foreigner, the queer - and when Harry had realised as a teenager that he was bent as well as a freak, he had wanted to weep at the unfairness of it all.

And yet, Harry had been very lucky in both those regards. He could pass, pretend to be normal, act like nothing was amiss. Never showing an interest for men, never showing he always knew (and always would know) more than he ought to. He had learnt from a very young age how to ignore the voices in his head, how to direct them and how to choose which ones were important and which ones should fade in the background like unwanted white noise, until he could pretend they weren’t there. Harry had always thought of his mind as a broken radio, catching more frequencies than it ought to, unable to keep to its own channel, and over the years he had to train himself into tuning out every thought except for his own.

His powers were silent, quiet, hidden. Nothing as flashy as people who could make things explode at will, or worse whenever their temper flared; nothing as dangerous as controlling the elements in any way; nothing as terribly obvious as physical deformities like people who were born with scaly skin or webbed feet.

Harry could hide behind a mask of wit and sarcasm, pretend that his on point observations were just that and nothing more, he could act like he was a very diligent student and that was why he never failed an exam rather than because he could get whatever answers he was missing right out the mind of his peers, he could pretend he never went out with a girl because he was always pining after someone who wasn’t interested in him - and, the few times he did “get the girl”, things would never work out between them because he would always say the wrong thing at the wrong time and then bemoan his woes to whomever would listen.

Growing up, Harry had quickly realised his powers could be a boon, rather than a curse, if he knew how to use them. He never propositioned the wrong man, never went to the wrong bar, always left before something like a brawl or a police round up could happen. He deftly used one of his secrets to protect the other, to protect himself and only himself, as selfish as it was.

He could never risk detection, and sometimes that meant letting bad things happen to other people. He had risked warning someone of a bully’s bad intentions exactly once, when he was twelve years old, and afterwards he had been in the older boy’s crosshair. Thankfully for Harry, he had told someone of his plans and so he had simply assumed Harry had been spying on him rather than reading his mind. Harry had also been very fortunate that the following year would be his first at Eton, getting him away from the undesired attention. Once at the college, Harry did his best to keep his head down and act inconspicuously.

He had expected his life to go on like that. He had expected to spend his years hiding from the world, pretending to be normal if eccentric.

Instead, one day during his stay at Oxford, he had been called to the dean’s office. No matter how hard he had tried to read the minds of the people around him, Harry had no clue what it was all about - and he was even more confused when he arrived to the office to find a man that was _not_ his dean.

“Ah, Mr Hart. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the man had said, standing up from his seat.

Harry had tried reading his mind, but had found it almost impenetrable, to his dismay.

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr…?”

“You may call me Arthur,” the man had said with a smarmy smile and a clammy handshake. Harry had tried not to grimace, but probably failed to do so.

“Mr Arthur,” Harry repeated, unconvinced, but had smiled his best polite smile - the one that got him through family dinners when his mind was swarmed by what his relatives really thought of him, from the way he wore his hair to his chosen field of study - before asking, “To what do I owe the honour of this meeting?”

“I’m a recruiter for the British army,” the man had said confidently, but Harry hadn’t believed that for one second. An army recruiter would have had no particular reason to be looking for him, of all people. He had never even joined in a sports team, after all.

Cautiously, Harry had let his mind reach out once more, connecting to the older man’s, and that time it actually worked: what he found there made his eyes go wide. The man had stopped hiding his thoughts, and they had flashed like a billboard in Harry’s face: _I know what you are. I am like you._

“An army recruiter, sir?” Harry had asked, raising an eyebrow. “How can I be of service?” He had kept the ruse up, uncertain.

Arthur’s smile had widened at that, but he hadn’t opened his mouth to speak. Instead, his mind had done the talking for him, and Harry could only stare dumbfounded as he learned of a place where people like him could learn how to use their powers, and put them to use for a good cause. A place that Arthur referred in his mind as a school for mutants, where the best students could even go forth and become élite agents - bloody _spies_ \- at the service of Queen and Country and, when required, the world at large.

At the end of their meeting, the real purpose of which had been concealed by talk of the army, Harry had been reeling with the sheer impossibility of it all.

Less than three days went by before he was calling the number Arthur had given him.

Years later, Harry’s job was that of the “army” recruiter himself.

Mutants had become more and more widespread in the past few decades, if not more widely accepted, to the point where Arthur had deemed necessary his intervention to decide which candidates were actually worth consideration and which ones could be ignored; Harry never pointed out that Arthur didn’t need his help when it came to accepting aristocratic mutants into Kingsman, knowing it would be useless, but he also suspected that the man’s blatlant elitism was keeping promising candidates from them.

That was why Harry had teamed up with Merlin - Kingsman’s quartermaster, trainer and resident technopath - to fix the issue in the best way they could: with Merlin’s abilities it was a joke to get into any system, be it CCTV or private servers for hospitals, schools, police records to look for individuals of promise, down to the government and MI6 themselves.

If someone showed promise or certain abilities that might be due to mutations, Harry would go find them and assess their character, with his telepathy if needed, to find out whether they were actually gifted or not, and if they would give their life to the cause of making the world a better place, and the strength of their morals - in short, if they had what it took to be Kingsman.

That was how they had found Lee Unwin. He had been an army infiltrator, too good for his talent to be completely unaided by powers of some kind, and sure enough he had been a mutant - but from a poor background, which had caused Arthur to completely ignore him.

He had turned out to be the most promising prospect agent they had since Merlin himself had joined their ranks.

But all that promise had been wiped away in the blink of an eye during a mission that decided Lee’s fate. Except, instead of deciding whether he was Kingsman élite material, it _proved_ that he was, even more so than many of those who had made it to the higher ranks.

The young man had sacrificed his life, laid it down to ensure everyone of his companions walked away alive from the explosion that should have killed them - an explosion that Harry should have been able to predict when scouring the depths of their enemy’s mind, but instead had belatedly noticed. Lee’s reflexes had been quicker, and he had pushed Harry out of the way to save them all.

A day didn’t go by that Harry didn’t regret his oversight.

He tried to tell himself that he had saved the world time and time again to make up for it, but it never felt like enough.

Until the day Merlin had contacted him about a new prospect recruit.

Harry viewed the footage from a CCTV camera and a dashcam on the police car, watching with interest as they chased a garish yellow car driven backwards by what looked like a group of young thugs at a first glance. But appearances could be deceiving, and Merlin wouldn’t have sent him that video if there weren’t more than met the eye there; and, sure enough, the recording ended with the yellow car crashing violently against a parked vehicle.

There was a moment of stillness while the police officers probably hesorted the young men to come out, but they didn’t. Then, a near blinding flash of light illuminated the night scene, and while the agents were probably too dazed to see, two of the people in the car made a run for it, fleeing the scene. Only one man remained, and he proved his point by crashing the yellow car against the police’s.

That’s when the dashcam finally gave Harry a good look of the boy behind the wheel.

Merlin had analysed the video and confirmed that the flash of light had to be some unknown ability, and the technopath had given Harry the address to the police station where the boy had been brought after his arrest - and after a second unit had been called, along with two tow trucks to remove the broken down vehicles.

But what had caused Harry to immediately spring into action was what Merlin had said next, about the boy appearing to be Lee Unwin’s son.

That may be the one chance at atonement Harry had been waiting for seventeen years, his chance at making things right and repaying his debt to Lee Unwin, and he wasn’t going to let it slip away from him.

He would make the life of the very boy he had orphaned better, if it was the last thing he did.

With a determination he hadn’t felt in years, Harry headed to the Kingsman cab waiting outside for him, letting it lead him to his redemption.

* * *

Most of Gary Unwin’s life had been a big, steaming pile of shit.

First off, with a name like Gary Unwin it was bound to be crap. What kind of parent looks at their baby boy and goes ‘Yeah, he looks jus’ like a Gary, don’t ya think?’

Unfortunately for him, his parents had been the type. ‘It is a good strong family name’ they’d remind him. ‘Your grandfather’s, and he was the best man we’ve ever known.’ He had never met the man of course, but he had heard the stories, and knew better than to second guess his mum or dad.

Fortunately he’d also been given a nickname he felt suited him much better.

Eggsy.

Eggsy spent his early years running track, doing gymnastics… he had stellar grades, perfect attendance and was set for a bright future and even pegged for olympic material. All until his dad died, and his mum remarried some prick named Dean. Eggsy knew deep down that it wasn’t anyone’s fault but his own that he’d wound up in such a shitty situation. But it was easier to blame your abusive step dad than to take responsibility for your actions he learned pretty quick.

It was easier to just do the sketchy shit Dean asked than to protest, too. Eggsy didn’t like the life he was thrown into, but he was smart enough to learn from it. Smarter than most actually, and used his keen observance to pick up on the things no one else noticed.

The thing about Eggsy is that he always wanted to be a good person. He always wanted to make the right choices and do the right thing… and usually when he made a decision it was with those things in mind. But more often than not those actions - no matter how pure or good intended - had consequences.

Each little mess up could be attributed to his powers too, which didn’t give him much incentive to learn about them. Growing up as a mutant was not easy - even now, with life generally simpler for them. No, there weren’t laws or bans in place, exactly, but once someone knew who or what you were things changed. People looked at you differently, talked to you differently… it wasn’t a life Eggsy wanted. So he spent his life in hiding. Never showing what he could (sort-of-almost) do to a soul.

Until one day when his mum caught wind of his abilities. Eggsy can still see the look she gave him, and that look still haunts him to this very day. He’d never known his father was a mutant too, but the face she wore that day screamed that he had been. Honestly, it was a wonder Eggsy had kept it a secret for so long with how uncontrollable his powers were… Or maybe Michelle always did know and that look was more shone out of fear than disbelief.

He really didn’t know, and since that day they hadn’t talk about it.

Eggsy could pretend it wasn’t real, pretend he was like the other kids… but he couldn’t run forever, and one night he’d finally ran out of breath.

Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have been taunting Rottweiler so aggressively… but the prick had it coming, and with his keys just hanging out of his pocket - well, he was basically asking for it.However, the consequences had caught up to him this time and what started out as a harmless joyride turned into an accident; one far larger than Eggsy’s abilities.

Another thing about the boy was his compassion for animals - which is a fantastic quality to possess of course, but when that compassion leads your vehicle into another parked car with your best mate bleeding out... well, maybe not the best decision in the grand scheme of things.

Another not so great decision was made that night when he ignored that pleading in his mind and used his abilities in full. He couldn’t let his best mate die because of his own cockiness, he had to fix it. So he did; and now he was not only outed as being a mutant, but he was likely going to be in a cell for the next eighteen months.

He crossed his arms leaning back into that chair not giving a shit though, and you can bet your ass he’d do it again if it meant Brandon would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

Holborn police station's holding cells were as dank as Harry would have expected, had he ever stopped to think about it. As it were, he never had to worry about such things, always able to keep himself out of trouble as he was - whether thanks to his powers, to his social status, or his work with Kingsman.

He used them, even now. Harry walked around the long corridors like he belonged there, hiding his presence from indiscrete eyes with ease. It was a technique he had perfected in the years he had spent working at Kingsman, a useful trick he had picked from comic books, of all places.

Ever since mutants had become more widespread - if not more accepted - people had been eager to imagine them as heroes, even while they kept fearing them in day to day life. It wasn't unlike the Cold War period, when people loved to imagine gentlemen spies saving the world with wits and charm, avoiding a new World War while also keeping their country safe and their enemies at bay, but at the same time they ended up looking over their shoulders for Russian spies behind every corner, afraid they were feeding on their secrets to plot against them.

Some plots were way too farfetched to even be considered, of course, but some ideas were actually sound enough that Harry had ended up trying them. At least, the ones that involved his powers or powers similar enough to his own. A few things ended up being beyond his capabilities, and others were just right.

One such gained ability was actually quite brilliant, and Harry hadn't been sure he could pull it off, but it turned out to be quite easy in the end, after some practice. Harry would cloak himself in a sort of glamour, making his presence muffled - not invisible, per se, but unnoticed. People could see him, but they didn't pay him any mind, and in most cases they all but forgot about seeing him. If they didn't, he was left as a hazy image in their head, like a shadow seen in a dream whose face they couldn't quite recall.

That and a confident attitude gave Harry access to almost any place, as people who took a glance at him assumed by his stance that he was exactly where he was supposed to be - and then they would forget before they had a chance to think twice about him.

That is why he easily reached the small interrogation room where the boy with the Kingsman necklace was awaiting for his fate to be decided.

Harry could easily read his mind right away, try to discern his thoughts before he actually met the boy, but he didn't like that kind of approach. In his many years he had decided that the best way to know a person was to at least give them a chance beforehand. After all, he could read a mind at any time later on, and explore its depths: but a first impression was a unique thing, and it was never good to marr it with his powers. Especially if a lasting friendship, or work partnership was to be born from this meeting. Mutants should always stick together, after all, even though they often ended up fighting each other.

Not everyone was made for a life of heroism, unfortunately.

Harry adjusted his glasses and made sure they were transmitting back to Merlin, and then braced himself and opened the door - wondering what exactly was waiting for him on the other side.

Eggsy was beyond nervous, but of course he was. He’d managed to keep himself out of trouble up until now. Or at least he’d tried… Hell, he’d made it this far without getting caught, hadn’t he? But like most things there always was an ending, and it looked like his had finally begun catching up with him.

He leaned deeper into that chair with a distant frown. His mum would not like this… Especially if the police believed the story about what the man had in fact seen. Maybe saying Michelle would be unhappy was an understatement Eggsy realised. More likely she’d go bloody mental like she always did when it came to his powers, well when she wasn’t pretending they didn’t exist at least. He could almost hear her now banging on about how he’d get himself killed if he wasn’t more careful… and he really did know she was right.

But yet again he thought on the alternative… Letting Brandon die. That was something he’d never allow. Plus, how was he supposed to know anyone was watching? Other than the police... and the bystanders... Maybe it was that he just didn't care.

Eggsy leaned forward placing his linked hands to the table, his head following closely behind. “Fuck me.” he mumbled under his breath into his lap, the events replaying in his mind like a film.

He’d just gotten to the good part when the door creaked open behind him. Another officer ready to take a statement no doubt… but when he turned it wasn’t an officer at all. At least, no officer he’d ever seen before.

This man was tall, athletic and wore a light gray suit that fit like a second skin. He looked beyond posh, and Eggsy felt himself more than a little confused and maybe a little curious if he was being honest. But he was still in the station and that only meant one thing: the man, whoever he was, was there with more questions.

Questions Eggsy really didn’t feel like answering, no matter how good that suit looked.

“I already told ya,” he paused crossing his arms again as he turned back to face the one way mirror, his brows lowered into a fine line. “I ain’t got nothin’ else t’say.”

Harry tilted his head to the side when the person wearing a Kingsman necklace turned out to be a boy. No, not a boy - a young man, with a face so boyish Harry couldn’t place his age at a first glance.

Still, Harry had years of experience at hiding his surprise, and this case was no different. He closed the door behind him, locked it, and walked to the side of the table opposite to the boy, looming over him. It was a cheap tactic, but one that usually worked: soft intimidation, making a subtle show of his powers to make sure the other person knew who they were dealing with and, depending on their political alignment, they felt safer or less safe than ever. Either way, it usually helped him getting what information he needed, and he wasn’t below using certain tricks if it meant he could assuage a person’s character. There was a reason, after all, if they always sent him for this type of mission, and this case was no different: if the boy lied to their face, they would know, and depending on his intentions they would act accordingly.

Harry stood silently for a moment, studying the young man’s handsome face for a moment, the deep frown of it lending him an old man’s look. He let the silence stretch between them for a moment, letting its weight be known, and then rested his umbrella against the table.

“My name is Harry Hart,” he said as politely as the situation warranted, pulling the chair out from under the table and unbuttoning his jacket. “You may call me Harry, if you’d like. I’m not here on police business. In fact, I’m not even police.” He sat down, and linked his hands in front of him on the table.

“I’m just here to assess your name, powers, and how you came in possession of a certain necklace with a golden K, that you’re wearing even now.” He paused to consider the boy’s reaction, and then continued by saying, “If my suspicions are correct…” another pause, shorter, looking for and finding the young man’s eyes, “I’m the one who gave you that medal.”

Those words took Eggsy by surprise. He remembered the day that medal was given to him… remembered it like it had just happened yesterday even. That was the day his father died. The man that gave it to him he remembered well too, and if not for that memory fresh in his mind he’d have told the man before him to shove it - that he didn’t owe him any answers, especially any involving his powers.

Things may not have been as bad for mutants nowadays but he was not interested in being one of those out in the open types, and truthfully being in hiding was one of the only places Eggsy really felt safe. But there was something about the tone this Harry Hart took… something in the way Harry’s eyes met his own, and a vague familiarness he couldn’t shake that told him least of all, he should try to trust him.

Eggsy let out a quick sigh, tilting his head slightly as he eyed Harry more carefully… was this really the man from that day? He couldn’t say for certain, but something deep down told him it was. But even with that realisation pressing at his temples he felt an air of uncertainty, and truth be told a bit confused.

Confused and sort of taken with the man.

Distractions aside he wanted to know what this Harry Hart was doing here, and why he was so interested in him. How did he know he was there in the first place? Eggsy looked down to the chain around his neck, that small K inside a pink circle shining up at him from the bright lights above. He gripped it lightly exhaling once more - longer this time, and just a hair more relaxed.

“Eggsy.” he paused momentarily, running his tongue across the front of his teeth. “Eggsy Unwin… You got a lotta questions, but how’s about I get an answer first, yeah? You say you gave me this… why?”

Eggsy wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t want to answer his questions… probably that little itch of self preservation that scratched or the voice of his mum warning him to keep his mouth shut about it. More likely though it was his own curiosity of the man that pulled the words from his mouth. He sort of knew that Harry was telling the truth, but it wasn’t like Eggsy to not behave at least a little challengingly.

The way Eggsy set his jaw made it clear to Harry that the boy was being contrary almost more on principle than anything else. There was a note of self-preservation, of course, but Harry couldn't help the smile that curled his lips at the deficiency of those words.

"Alright, I suppose that's fair. We could answer one question each, if that would ease your mind," he offered, straightening his spine a bit.

'Eggsy' might have been the name of the boy Harry remembered from all those years ago, but the last name didn't leave him any doubts: Unwin. Like Lee, the man who had died because of a mistake Harry had made. Eggsy was now sitting in a police station, and by the way he was holding himself he didn't seem unused to doing so. Harry couldn't help but feel that it was his fault, in a way. If the boy had grown with his father...

Trying to squash the sense of guilt sitting in the pit of his stomach, Harry focused on the boy's expression to judge his reactions to what he was about to reveal.

"I gave you that medal the day after your father died. I made a mistake that day, I missed something, and if it weren’t for him my mistake would’ve cost the lives of all the men present. Your father was a hero, one of the bravest men I've ever known, and I still regret to this day that there was nothing we could do. It was beyond our powers," he said, putting emphasis on the last word to make sure Eggsy understood what he meant. "Now, I believe it's your turn. How did you end up in here, Eggsy?" he asked, trying and failing not to sound too condescending.

Eggsy swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat, blinking back his look of surprise as he pulled his lower lip in to chew lightly. A moment later he nodded once then raised his hand to adjust his hat more out of habit than actual necessity. “Got myself into a bit a trouble.”

He wasn’t lying exactly, he had gotten himself into trouble, but this time it wasn’t really his trouble that landed him there. Or… maybe it was. But Eggsy was never one to open his mouth when things got sticky, and now would be no different. He may have known now without a doubt that this man before him was the same one from all those years ago, but considering they were still in an interrogation room he wasn’t sure he bought the bit about him not being with the police. And if that were the case, Eggsy wasn’t about to throw his mates under the bus for an attractive man in a fit suit.

“Was a bit of an accident. Stole some dickheads car, crashed it an now we’re here.” Eggsy’s arms were crossed just at his bust, and he leaned back casually in that cold metal chair. He was hoping Harry’s follow up question wouldn’t be about the man raving on what he’d seen Eggsy do after said car crashing… but once again he glanced at his surroundings he feared it would be.

Eggsy looked from the glass back to Harry, his eyes almost pleading to just be out of there as he decided his next move. Based off the way Harry had been talking, he caught on pretty quick to the mutant bit. It wasn’t that he minded the idea of sharing his abilities with Harry, so much as he didn’t feel like sharing them with whoever was watching from the other side of that window.

“Look… I don’t mind talkin’ bout this with ya, yeah? But I ain’t doin’ it here.”

Harry could understand Eggsy’s reticence, and he knew reassuring him that they were alone wouldn’t help. Still, he did so, because there were a few more things to be discussed before they could consider leaving.

“I can assure you, nobody’s listening. They don’t even know I’m here, and I’ll know if someone is coming.”

To prove his point, Harry used a bit of his telekinetic powers to flick the light switch in the adjacent room, turning it off so the mirror could become a window, revealing the emptiness beyond it.

“And the cameras aren’t recording,” he added. “I have a device with me that disables any electronic apparatus within five feet from it. We are quite safe from indiscrete eyes. But I do understand - and appreciate - your caution. You have no reason to trust me, not yet, and you’d be a fool to do so blindly. But I have no guarantee that you won’t try and run as soon as I take you outside, and I can’t have that, so I’ll need you to listen to me first.”

He let the words sink for a moment, eyeing the boy cautiously. It wouldn’t do to scare him, and it was definitely not Harry’s intentions to do so, but of course the situation was serious enough to warrant a certain degree of solemnity.

“I know how you feel. Like your life is out of your control, and you can’t do anything to change it. But I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong. The people I work with do good work, and help those like us. They are like us, actually,” he said with a small smile. “And I know it doesn’t do to brag, but the work we do helps more than just gifted people. I was sent here to get you out of trouble, and to determine whether you could be an asset to our organisation. We are always looking for young men of talent to aid us in our work. New talents with a new perspective.” He paused again, for a moment, then asked, “Would you be interested in that?”

Eggsy knew Harry was right - he hadn’t felt in control of his life in, well… ever. And if there was one thing Eggsy could confidently say it was that he was more than a little interested in whatever organisation Harry was speaking of.

The idea that he could have a life outside of petty crime and hiding had never crossed his mind before today, but now that it was there he couldn’t even begin to shake it. In those moments he imagined what life could be like away from Dean. He saw a world where he was surrounded by other people just like him, everyone struggling to figure out why they are the way they are… and he knew just what needed to be done.

When he looked to Harry’s eyes again he smiled wide and sincere as he watched him carefully; running his gaze over his shoulders and down to his hands then back to that kind yet somehow hardened face he wore like a mask.

Somehow Eggsy just knew that face wasn’t entirely his. That it was just one he wore for these kinds of occasions, and in that moment he understood Harry so much more. It was odd because in reality he’d only met this man once when he was just a boy, and even though he tried playing it off, he’d of been lying if he denied feeling a sort of connection to him.

“You think I’ve got anythin’ to lose?” and really, he didn’t so the words came out with ease.

That was exactly what Harry had been waiting for - hoping for.

"Alright," he said with a smile, standing up and gesturing for Eggsy to do the same. "Your bail was paid for, and you're free to go. Call it a favour." Harry winked at the young man, and nodded his head towards the door. "Come along."

Picking up his umbrella again, Harry headed for the door and held it open for Eggsy. He assessed the boy as he walked past him, as he lead him through the winding hallways and out the door in the rare London sunshine, the autumn weather uncharacteristically kind. Eggsy seemed strong, healthy and fit despite the conditions he was forced to grow up in, and his will seemed just as sturdy as his physique. If he was as powerful as Merlin had estimated, he could be a very useful agent for Kingsman - provided, of course, that he passed all his aptitude tests and field trials.

Once they were outside, Harry faced Eggsy again. "We will talk about this in the 'company' cab," he said, raising an eloquent eyebrow, "and you should know that if you were to listen to what I'll tell you but refuse to work for us - which you're in complete liberty to do, if my words won't be satisfactory - I shall be forced to wipe your memory of this encounter. You'll just remember being let out on bail and returning home in a cab. Is that something you can agree with? If not, I'm afraid we will have to cut our meeting short here and now."

Eggsy stood there a moment, glancing from the cab to the man before him thinking on the strangeness of it all, trying not to focus too much on the wink Harry had just just given him, or the way it made him feel low in his stomach... But mostly he thought of Harry’s last question, and whether or not he could in fact agree to it.

Even though Eggsy knew this - whatever _this_ was - was his best option, he wasn’t sure he wanted to forget anything. And he didn’t exactly like the idea of not remembering Harry, or whatever was waiting for him at the end of that ride either.. But even knowing it could all be gone in an instant, the choice wasn’t a hard one to make.

Something deep down told him that whatever was coming would be worth it.

Eggsy pursed his lips, nodding a few times as he pulled his gaze back to Harry’s; a faint smile slipping the corners of his mouth stretching clear to his eyes. “Yeah, alright, I understand… what now?”

Harry smiled appreciatively and nodded towards the car. He liked the boy’s determination.

“Now we get in,” he said, reaching to open the door for Eggsy - which he would have done even if the cab didn’t require a set of fingerprints with clearance from Kingsman to open, thank you very much.

He was a gentleman, after all.

That this gave him another excuse to observe Eggsy was beyond the point, and Harry had to actually make an effort to keep his eyes to himself; it was hard not to admire Eggsy, the broad lines of his back and shoulders, the long legs that looked stocky with how muscled they were, the probably equally strong arms, down to the fairness of his face and the beauty of his features.

Eggsy had grown into a handsome young man, so much different from the boy he remembered from 1997 - and at the same time so similar. His eyes were hardened, but they still held some of the softness the boy had before he had realised how cruel the world was, carefully hidden behind skittishness as his gaze darted left and right on the street, as if still looking for a way out in case things were to go south for him.

“Don’t worry, I did mean it when I said that you’ll be free to go if you were to refuse our offer, if relieved of a few hours worth of memories.”

Eggsy drew in a breath as he chew the corner of his mouth slightly offering a nod of understanding, doing his best to keep his eyes on the road that passed slowly by and not on Harry - which to be clear he found rather difficult. That man really knew how to fill out a suit, and there was something so endearing about that soft smile he kept sending Eggsy’s way.

That smile did more to Eggsy than he wanted to let on, and it was clear by the way he bounced his leg to no end that he was nervous. But was he more nervous about whatever ‘opportunity’ awaited him and the possibility of forgetting, or was it because of the nearly entrancing man next to him?

At this point he didn’t really know, and he was nowhere near ready to think about it. While his eyes darted from person to person he thought about his father again - something he hadn’t done in ages because when he did, he only felt a deep, dark emptiness. But… this Harry Hart was one of the only people that actually knew his dad, and his curiosity got the better of him.

“So… you knew my father, yeah?” when Eggsy spoke he didn’t look to Harry this time, but to his hands which fumbled in his lap anxiously. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to have this conversation, but the chances were high that he wouldn’t even remember it later... so what was the harm?

Harry smiled, and nodded. “Yes, I did. He was an incredible young man. Powerful, gifted - but not in the way people mean the word nowadays. His talent was incredible, certainly, but it was more than that. He was a beautiful soul, and the world is lesser for his loss.”

He paused for a moment, trying to look for the best way to say what he wanted to, and in the end settled for, “I’ll always be thankful to him for saving my life, as the other men who lived thanks to him are. We have endeavored to live our lives as a gift your father gave us, and I can only hope to have lived worthily in exchange for his sacrifice. We have saved the world a few times, like he would have had he survived, and I suppose I can take some solace in that.”

Harry cleared his throat and looked at Eggsy, then, a small smile on his lips. “Your father was very loved. All the people who have met him and considered him a colleague also considered him a dear friend. If you have half the qualities he had, I’m sure you’ll be just as great a man, one day very soon.” And he meant it, too. He didn’t need to wade in the young man’s soul to know he was as pure of heart as they came, despite his background, like Lee had been. Although, of course, Lee hadn’t been orphaned at a very young age by Harry himself…

“If you’d like, we could keep going with our little game,” Harry said after clearing his throat to chase his own dark thoughts away. “One question each. I’m sure we both have many things we’re curious about, and the cab ride will be long enough. Plenty of time to get to know each other better, don’t you think?” he suggested, shifting in his seat so he was facing the boy and directing his smile at him - hoping to prompt more openness from Eggsy. He was looking like a tense mix of “ready to throw the car door open and run” and weary nervousness, and Harry wanted him to relax and ease up. He had nothing to fear, after all.

It was a little hard for Eggsy to hear about his dad and the kindness of his nature. But hearing about him didn’t make Eggsy quite as sad this time like it had so many others. This time he even felt a little bit of peace knowing that his father was a good man. The kind of man he hoped he’d be one day…

“Yeah, alright. Seems fair enough.” Eggsy replied shifting his weight towards Harry slightly, mirroring his more comfortable posture. He was still quite anxious due to having got into a cab with a stranger and all, but as the seconds trickled by so did that feeling.

Eggsy shot his eyes towards the driver, wondering if he too was a mutant… then slid his gaze around the back of the cab; eyes dancing from decanter to each empty glass, then to the little screen sporting a green K in the middle… the inside of that cab looked and smelled about as nice as Harry himself did, and Eggsy couldn’t help but linger on that scent as his mind began racing with questions he almost desperately needed to know.

But rules were rules, and technically it was Harry’s turn to do the asking.

“Your turn then, innit?” he said with a coy smile slipping the corners of his lips, eyes sparking as he relaxed just a bit raising his elbow to sit on the base of the window; his hand resting at his chin. His tone was probably a little too flirty he realised, but in that moment he wasn’t really sure he cared... he may forget about all this anyway, right? May as well have a little fun.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Eggsy's tone - cheeky and teasing now that the boy was more relaxed - and chuckled at the way he very nearly winked at him.

Who would have expected Eggsy to be so forward? It made Harry chuckle, and he felt a pleasant thrill run down his spine but quickly quashed the feeling. It really wasn’t a good idea to allow himself to feel such things for the young man.

“Very well. I suppose my first question has to be: why did you get in trouble with the police?” he asked, eyeing the other man.

When Eggsy saw the reaction Harry offered, he suppressed the smirk he felt building. He’d definitely been a little too obvious he realised, but at least his recovery was half decent... He leaned his head back to the cool window, his body slumping lightly into the leather. Eggsy didn’t want to push it, and he was more ready to play by the rules. “Shoulda known.”

He licked his lips, pulling his bottom lip in under a row of teeth as he exhaled slowly. “I told you the truth before, yeah? Stole a car, crashed it… but, there was a bit I left out.” Eggsy paused looking to his hands which fumbled anxiously with the zipper of his hoodie. “My mate Brandon… he got hurt pretty bad, and I had to use my…” he felt the lump forming in his throat but swallowed it down forcefully, ready and willing to continue; this time with a hair more confidence.

“I had to use my powers t’save him, an well… someone saw, police showed up… think you know the rest.” Eggsy may have ended slightly cheeky, but he had a feeling Harry wouldn’t mind.

Harry’s eyebrows shot to his hairline once more, although this time it was less in amusement and more in surprise. Healing powers were extremely rare, in a world were most people seemed to be able to shoot lightning from their hands or throw fireballs at others.

Even Lee’s powers were more about being able to conceal himself to other people. It was how he had gotten to his position in the army; even without revealing his true nature, he had become the best infiltrator of his unit, and that was what had gotten Kingsman’s attention, other than the fact that he was able to blend himself to any shadow of any shape, and hide in them. He could even turn himself into a shadow in a night of full moon, provided the lighting was good enough, and during his training he had often used that ability to win the challenges put in front of him.

“That’s very impressive,” Harry said, smiling. “I’m very curious about the scope of your powers, but Kingsman will make sure to test that,” he added.

“There’s a bit more to it… can sorta,” Eggsy paused thinking on how exactly he could explain his next words… He really didn’t understand it fully, and it wasn’t like he even knew how to control it either, so that didn’t help one bit, but he had to try. “I don’t know, it’s like… sometimes when stuff is gettin’ real bad with Dean an’ my mum I can jus’… stop.”

His brows were lowered as he thought about all the times he had to use this gift of his… he’d stop Dean just before he’d hit his mum, or him even… sometimes it seemed he could control time and space around them. But it never lasted more than a few seconds, sometimes not even long enough to do anything useful, and everytime things returned to normal he was left with a thick syrupy feeling all over his body, almost as if he could feel it under his skin. He tried hiding that look from his face as he felt it again… pressing on him and reminding him why he didn’t use his powers.

Harry frowned at that vague explanation, wondering what Eggsy meant exactly by “stop.” He remembered the name - Dean - from Eggsy’s file, but he was sure if the boy’s powers made people “stop” there would have been news of the man disappearing, or turning up dead. Thus, Harry was sure the boy’s power wasn’t lethal, nor long lasting, but he had never heard of anything like that. He would have to ask Merlin, but that could wait for a later time, once Eggsy would start his tests and trials to make sure he had what it took to join Kingsman.

“I’m sure we will learn more about it with you, as things go along.” Harry smiled reassuringly, and then pointed out, “It’s your turn to ask me a question, now.”

Eggsy nodded in agreement, a hopeful look spreading his otherwise sullen expression. He really did want to learn more about whatever the hell he was, or to just be able to control it… and that thought alone was enough to pull him back to the here and now.

He tried to remember everything Harry had mentioned, but all the facts didn’t really add up to anything he could understand. There were mutants there… wherever ‘there’ was and whoever ‘they’ were did their best to protect life as everyone knew it.

But… why? Where did they come from? Who ran the place? Unfortunately though he only had one question, so with an almost convincing smile he asked it. “So this place you’re takin’ me… what exactly is it?”

Harry nodded and decided that the best way to answer that question was to go with his usual, premade speech.

“You could say that Kingsman is a school, of sorts. It was founded years ago, after the first mutants started popping up in the world. A lot of them were from rich or wealthy families, and they were bent on finding a cure for their children’s condition, ironically enough. When it became clear no such thing was forthcoming, they decided to channel their money into making a place where their children could be safe, and learn how to use and conceal their powers, so that they wouldn’t be a danger to society.”

He smiled as he let the words sink in. “In time, those same children grew up to master their powers, and decided to start using them for the greater good - when possible. You could say Kingsman is… a bit of a school for superheroes. A secret agency that employs mutants, if you will, and teaches them how to save the world and to do so unnoticed.”

It was hard to explain what Kingsman was to other people, but he knew everything would be clear once they got there, once he could show Eggsy what everything was about.

“Once you get to Kingsman, your powers will be assessed. The head of our research department will check to see if there’s ever been anyone with your same powers, someone who could teach you how to use them. Otherwise, our senior agents will teach you the best ways to learn how to use your powers. How to focus, how to channel them, how to best conceal them even while using them in full day if possible. And if your powers are deemed useful in such a way, and if your lessons prove useful enough, you might be promoted to a Kingsman active, like I am, and will be deployed in many missions. Both to recruit new prospect students, like I’m doing with you now, and to save the world.”

All of that sounded insane to Eggsy… the idea that there was a secret organisation of mutant spies was almost a little too much to process, but lucky for him he was pretty good on his feet and hid the awe from his expression almost perfectly. Insanity aside this place seemed incredible… perfect even.

Eggsy knew there were others like him - of course there were - but he’d never really met anyone that was. And he couldn’t hide the smile or the warm feeling he felt any longer at the thought. But growing up the way he did, he knew better than to get his hopes up too high. “Gotta say, Harry, that all sounds a bit too good, don’it? What’s the catch?”

He realised asking was out of turn technically, but he hoped Harry would answer him anyway. After all sometimes one had to break the rules from time to time. But when he saw the look Harry returned, he pursed his lips releasing a sigh. “Go on then… what d’you wanna know?”

“No, no, you’re right. Follow up questions are only natural and should be allowed,” Harry said with a gracious nod of his head. “Although, there is no catch. Unless you consider a ‘catch’ living your life in secrecy, never telling anyone what it is you actually do for a living, and having your life jeopardised at every twist and turn, considering the very nature of the job.” He paused, then smiled and added, “And the danger of the selection process to become a top agent itself, of course.”

Harry hesitated. He should probably explain in detail just how dangerous the process was, dangerous enough that it had cost Lee’s life, but he decided that could wait.

“I suppose I should ask you about your life, now. Do you have a job? How about your family? Do you have a way of supporting them, other than the petty crimes I’ve read about on your dossier? Your father would have wanted you to have a job to take care of your mother, rather than you being into thievery and the occasional pickpocket, but I suppose everyone does what they can to survive…” Harry said, a bit callously considering it was his fault in good measure if Eggsy had to resolve to hanging out with less than recommendable people. But he had spent so long trying to not feel guilty, and telling himself it wasn’t his fault, that right then he didn’t even realise how inconsiderate he was sounding.

Eggsy shot his eyes to Harry’s in a flash, his brow lowered dismally at the tone he’d taken. That was most definitely more than one question, and Eggsy wasn’t even sure this cab ride would be long enough to answer the first one properly.

A brief nod and forced chuckle later he looked out the window again, the tip of his tongue tracing the lines of his lip as he grounded himself just a bit. “It ain’t like I wanted any of this… think I like bein’ that person, do ya?”

He couldn’t help but feel a little attacked in that moment. It wasn’t like he chose this life… he didn’t choose Dean, or for his father to die… Eggsy didn’t choose it, and he didn’t want any of it and he couldn’t help but feel a little judged. Part of him wanted to tell Harry off truthfully - tell him he didn’t know the first thing about him or his life. He didn’t know the first thing about growing up with Dean as your ‘dad’. But before his impulsivity took over he realised what little good that would do.

Eggsy cleared his throat, his leg bobbing away tirelessly as he shifted his stare back to Harry; locking eyes more intently than before. The softness of Harry’s face chasing away any animosity he previously felt… a soft sigh later and he continued. “Like you said… did what I had to.”

“Well, I know you didn’t try so hard to change things. Your file is quite clear on the issue. You were in a gymnast team, and you dropped out of it even though you had been pegged as olympic material. You joined the marines, and then gave up halfway through your training despite your wonderful results, I’m assuming in fear of being found out. Never had a job… You must understand how it looks, on paper.” Harry couldn’t help but judge the boy, at least a bit.

It was true that he had ruined the lad’s life, letting his father die for his mistakes, but it seemed that Eggsy had turned away every chance he had had at getting a better life, as if he preferred to stay where he was and be miserable rather than actively try and change it.

But, of course, he didn’t know the whole story.

“You can’t talk to me like that.” Eggsy said crossing his arms with brows lowered defensively. But his words had little impact, and almost before he’d finished his sentence Harry was speaking again.

“This is your one chance, Eggsy. You can change your life, for good, with no fear of being found out. A job that would pay well enough that you could care for your mother and sister, and still never want for anything in your life. And a job that, albeit dangerous, would give you a chance to do a lot of good in the world.”

He was not happy with the way Harry was speaking to him… Harry didn’t know the first thing about him or about his life. Did Harry think there were a lot of jobs going around for someone like him? Did he think growing up with Dean as your only male figure made life easy… especially for a mutant?

It most certainly did not, and Eggsy nearly felt his skin boil beneath the surface at Harry’s little reminders. Maybe if he’d been born with the advantages that Harry clearly had, things would have been different.

Maybe if he still had a father things wouldn’t be so bad...

No matter how they’d been intended, Eggsy got one message. That he was a fuck up. If not for the final bit Harry laid upon him he’d of gone off more. But he could see in Harry’s eyes that he was coming from a good place.

That Harry just wanted better for him, and Eggsy appreciated it more than he could show. “I do get it, Harry… I ain’t gonna mess this up.”

Harry smiled at the boy and nodded his head in approval.

“I believe you, Eggsy. And that is why it’s important you’re aware of how vital this is. Not just for you, but for the people you could help. I know you don’t want your life to have been wasted. I know you’re a brave young man, full of potential and more than ready to do his part to help others. And if you join Kingsman, you will be able to do just that.”

It wasn’t a certain thing, actually. Of course, Eggsy could join their ranks and never go past the initial stages of training, or they could decide his powers were better suited in the service of their medical team, but even if the boy worked to get their agents back into the field and nothing more, it would be a very good use of his powers. A single Kingsman agent could save the world, if they put their mind to it, and having someone who could speed up their healing process would be a very good thing indeed.

Eggsy smiled sheepishly at the tone Harry had taken, turning to face him once more sporting the kindest eyes he could muster. Harry actually seemed to believe in him... which to be clear was all he’d ever wanted in life, even if he didn’t want to admit it. He just wanted someone to believe in him… to tell him he was worth it.

That feeling paired with the look he could swear Harry was trying not to give him, well let’s just say it was enough to distract him once more; causing Eggsy to nearly forget all of Harry’s brash judgments in an instant.

There was something about Harry that just made him want to be better. Eggsy didn’t know his values, his life or really anything about him other than he was a Kingsman and a mutant... But it didn’t matter because Eggsy could see that Harry felt it too. Or maybe he couldn’t, and Eggsy was just a boy taken by a handsome man in a suit…

Eggsy released the breath he’d been holding, then signaled with his chin forward slightly. He wanted to know more about the man in truth, because there hadn’t really ever been anyone he’d found so interesting - but there would be time for that. For now, he’d behave. “How’s about you tell me somethin’ bout you then, yeah? What kinda powers you got?”

“That’s a fair question,” Harry said honestly. It didn’t bother him that Eggsy was curious about his powers, and it would be a lie to say that he wasn’t expecting him to ask. “I have mental abilities. I can read minds, fool people into not noticing things, and sometimes if I focus I can even make people see what I want, like a locked door instead of an open one or a item I’ve stolen still sitting exactly where they had left it. But the latter takes a lot of focus and energy,” he listed, smiling softly. “I also have telekinetic powers, like you’ve seen earlier when I turned the lights off in the room adjacent to ours,” he added. “But I promise I haven’t read your mind. I make it a habit to get to know a person before exploring the depths of their psyche, unless they’re a mark. And you’re not a mark. Although there is a reason why they send me to scout prospect recruits.”

Harry kept looking at Eggsy, wanting to see how that revelation was going to weight on the boy, but he kept his expression open and friendly - honestly so, for once.

After a beat, he folded his hands in his lap and asked, carefully, “What are you hoping to achieve by joining Kingsman?”

It was a question that sometimes threw people off. They’d say they’d want to save the world, be heroes, get famous for their deeds, but that wasn’t true. Kingsman didn’t give you fame. Money, if anything, but it was of the utmost importance that nothing Kingsman ever did became public knowledge, especially the whos and the hows of what they did. Many of their operations didn’t exactly go unnoticed, but they were always shrouded in mystery - like that one time a megalomaniac was trying to enslave humans via mind control, and then he had simply… stopped. Harry had put a bullet in his head, but no one needed to know that much about it. The world had been saved, and people had been content enough with that.

Of course, their recruits’ intentions were never quite so pure as they tried to make them seem. It didn’t take a telepath to know that people usually just wanted to get rich, which was about the only thing you could get if you joined Kingsman. Well, rich and, or dead. But Harry was curious to find out how Eggsy would answer that.

Truthfully he wasn’t sure how to answer such a question at first. Mostly because he hadn’t really had any time to think about it. One minute he was saving his mate Brandon, the next he was in a cab with a stranger driving off to god knows where.

He turned his eyes to the window once more, chewing his lip in thought as the cars passed by in watercolored blurs. But really Eggsy didn’t have to think long to know his answer.

“I wanna get my mum an sister the fuck away from Dean.” when he answered Harry this time, he didn’t look at him but to his hands that this time fiddled aimlessly instead of anxiously in his lap. “I wanna be somethin’ more. For them mostly… but also for me.” a second later he looked back towards Harry with a nod, his eyes were soft and even though Eggsy himself didn’t possess the ability to read minds he had a feeling he knew what was on Harry’s.

“Like you said... this is my last chance, innit?”

“Your last good chance, yes,” Harry said with a smile, but he was more than satisfied at Eggsy’s answer. The boy’s selflessness was as refreshing as it was honest, and Harry couldn’t help but be proud of this rebellious young man already. “I do believe you can make it. And, with hard work and dedication, I’m sure you could easily become one of our top operatives. Your powers do hold a lot of promise.”

The cab slowed down as Harry said those words, and he looked outside of the car’s window and onto Savile Row. “Ah, we’re here,” he said, smiling at the young man sitting next to him and climbing out of the vehicle, heading for the door of the Kingsman tailor shop, the word written in elegant gold lettering on the window.

He didn’t even turn to check if Eggsy was following him, swinging his umbrella casually as he took the few steps to the entrance with a spring to his step, all but skipping from one to the other, until he was on top of the short staircase and holding the door open for his guest.

As Harry walked forward Eggsy couldn’t help but stare as he fixated on Harry’s last words. Those thoughts only lasted so long with Harry’s long legs striding with such grace, and ease in front of him… his broad shoulders and dark hair shining down at him… it was quite distracting, and before Eggsy knew it they were standing inside a tailor shop of all places.

He pursed his lips suspiciously, tossing a lazy finger towards the walls all lined with fine suits, ties and other necessities for the modern gentleman. “A tailor shop?”

Harry smiled at the skepticism etched on Eggsy’s open face, his pursed lips looking pink and inviting even with the way they curved downwards in a frown.

“A tailor shop,” he confirmed, “It’s where I work.”

He winked at Eggsy, in a not so subtle way, but that only seemed to amuse the man standing behind the counter.

“Dressing room number one is available, sir,” he said, and Harry nodded at him in acknowledgment.

“Thank you very much, Andrew,” he said, nodding with his head towards a numbered door. “Come along, Eggsy.”

Harry walked to the dressing room and stopped in front of a full figure three fold mirror, looking at his reflection for a moment before turning towards Eggsy and raising an eyebrow, waiting for him to follow.

Eggsy pressed the tip of his tongue along the base of his teeth as a small smile spread, along with it a warm feeling sat low in his stomach. He stepped in behind Harry, tossing his eyes towards the man behind the counter - Andrew - with a smile before pushing through the door. He could smell Harry’s cologne trailing softly behind him, and had to literally resist taking a deeper breath in.

That wink aside Eggsy was a little confused as he looked around the dressing room then to Harry once more. But Harry was just standing there in front of a mirror with his hands tucked in his pockets comfortably, sporting that kind and endearing smile.

Eggsy took another step into the room, his brows lifted curiously, “Uh… what’s all this bout?”

“I’ll show you,” Harry said, closing the door with a nudge of his mind. He then stepped forward and put his hand on the mirror, watching Eggsy’s bewildered face in the mirror as the floor jolted under their feet, before starting its descent towards the underground railway that linked the tailor shop and Kingsman’s headquarters.

The boy’s surprise was terribly adorable, as was the way he looked around in concern.

“As I’ve mentioned earlier, Kingsman is mostly a spy organisation that employs mutants. And while the things you see in superhero movies and comic books aren’t exactly the stuff we usually get up to… you’ll find that the things in spy movies are actually quite accurate,” Harry said with an amused twinkle in his eye.

“Holy fuck…” Eggsy breathed out lightly, his eyes darting from one surface to the next in quick flashes. His jaw slightly open while he stare in awe as the platform they stood lowered deeper into the ground.

He walked to the nearby table and began tracing the tips of his fingers over the silkiness of the ties below them; watching as the brick wall slid further up and away from his view. He tried to imagine what he would look like in one of those posh suits Harry wore… But it was a little hard for him to picture, even with Harry’s vote of confidence.

Eggsy turned towards Harry with a cheeky smile, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stepped closer to him, eyes narrowed playfully. “How deep does this thing go?”

The boy’s reaction was as charming as it was amusing, and Harry stood there with his hands in his pockets as Eggsy looked around the room-sized elevator in awe.

But Harry could see the teasing grin on his face, and when Eggsy posed that question he decided to answer in kind.

“Deep enough,” he replied, the words downright suggestive with the way he spoke them in a low voice, his eyes still taking in the young man, the curve of his lips, the way his eyes seemed to suggest… more. “And after this there’s another ride. Bullet train,” Harry said with a cheeky smirk of his own, his head tilting to the side to take in Eggsy’s reaction.

Harry had always been a shameless flirt, always enjoying the scandalised reaction of straight and gay men alike as he could never bother to hide. He already had to live life in the mutant closet, and had decided a long time ago he at least wanted to be open about his… other uncommon traits.

Eggsy was unable to control the short laugh he felt pressing at his lips, then pulled his lower lip in to chew slightly; locking eyes with Harry. That reply was not one he’d expected to hear but once he did he felt a spark tingle throughout his limbs. He smiled again, wider this time, pulling his gaze to the side bashfully.

It was not like Eggsy to get embarrassed, but hearing the tone Harry had taken utterly blindsided him. Of course a bit of flirting with a handsome man was never something he could resist, but having the action reciprocated sat light in his stomach and he couldn’t help but turn a lovely shade of pink.

“And then what?” he raised his brow - almost too suggestively - as he felt the lift pull to a halt. As promised when they reached the bottom level they were met by a bullet train behind two sliding metal doors. He stepped down following closely behind Harry, maybe too closely even, but that didn’t seem to stop him.

Harry knew they were toeing dangerous territory, that he should thread carefully and, perhaps, even take a step back, but… he did enjoy a good flirt, and Eggsy was wonderfully receptive.

And he had never been one to step away from danger.

Except when he really must.

“And then… I’ll leave you in the capable hands of our quartermaster, Merlin. He’s the one who supervises the training. And when you reach the end of our training program and get to be one of us,” he said confidently, knowing Eggsy could make it, “then… perhaps, dinner.” Did it count as flirting or bribing if he promised something that might or might not be a date to a candidate? After all, it was just an incentive.

Eggsy pulled his lip in once more, that smile creeping further at the thought presented. He did fancy getting to know Harry more in truth, and it seemed by the gaze Harry still held that the feeling was mutual.

“Better do it right then, yeah?” he raised a brow, stepping down the three stairs towards the opened doors of the bullet train. He was leading this time, a new air of confidence drifting off him like a perfume. He stepped in the car, sat and smiled up at Harry, blinking a few times innocently as he cocked his head slightly.

“Precisely,” Harry said with a chuckle, watching as the boy all but marched proudly to the train. He followed at a leisurely pace and sat in front of him, elegantly crossing his legs and gripping the armrests, making sure his posture was relaxed. It wouldn’t do to appear too eager in front of the boy, after all, even if he couldn’t help but try to imagine the many possibilities in front of them, if Eggsy did pass the testing process and ended up being one of Kingsman’s top agents like he was.

If anything, he was sure they would end up taking missions together. Merlin was always scolding him, pointing out that “for a guy who can read minds you get hurt an awful lot - might that be because you fight like a bloody peacock?” Having someone capable of healing would surely be handy, although he couldn’t guarantee that the peacocking wouldn’t just get worse once he had someone to show off to.

“The ride will take a few minutes. If you have any further questions, you should ask them now, as we won’t be allowed to talk much during the training process,” Harry said, smiling openly at Eggsy.

Eggsy couldn’t help lowering his brows slightly at Harry’s last remark. Just how long was this training process, but more importantly he wondered why they wouldn’t be able to speak. He didn’t really like the idea, he’d just started getting to know the man… but, if Harry was right and he made it through the process there would be plenty of time for that. Plus, dinner if he heard correctly.

He quickly adjusted his brows, lightening them more playfully as he slunk comfortably into the leather seat, watching as the doors closed, and the train pulled forward.

“How’d you end up here? Doin’ all this?” Eggsy asked with eyes scanning the intimate interior as a quiet whistling surrounded them.

Harry watched out of the train’s little window as they sped up, sent rocketing through the underground tube in a matter of seconds, before turning to regard the boy again, smiling easily at him.

“I’m sent to assess recruits because of my ability to read minds. If I suspect someone isn’t being forward about their reasons, I can just… check. That keeps unsavory types or unsuitable candidates to even get to the headquarters, which helps a lot to maintain the secrecy of it all,” Harry explained. “If you meant how I joined Kingsman… you could say I simply got drafted. Our leader, his power allows him to find mutants around the world, proved they’re powerful enough. Well, there’s another set of conditions, like distance, but… he’s basically a radar. One day he showed up at my university and offered me everything I’m offering you right now,” Harry said. Then, raising an eyebrow, amended, “Well… not everything, I suppose. I was never asked out to dinner. And I don’t make it a habit to invite new recruits to dinner, either, just in case you were wondering about that,” he cleared up hastily.

Eggsy had to admit the last bit he did wonder about. Harry didn’t seem the type to bridge the gap between whatever this was and something more often, but what did he really know. Regardless, the reassurance was appreciated and offered its own brand of satisfaction.

“I was beginning to worry.” he teased lightly, rubbing the long line of his jaw with the pads of his thumb as he take in Harry once more. He watched the way Harry bobbed his foot up and down lightly, somehow appearing comfortable and not at all anxious as the gesture often suggested.

He felt the train grinding to a halt and felt the sudden pang of goodbyes approaching. He wasn’t sure what was coming for him during all of this, or how long their parting would really be, but at least he had a six foot tall motivator to keep him focused.

Harry looked out of the small window once more, and for a long moment he didn’t move. He was reluctant to stand up and end the moment, to abandon the privacy of the train to all but throw Eggsy to the proverbial sharks… But he could feel Merlin already waiting at the end of the hallway, his friend’s mind always buzzing like an electric storm at the periphery of Harry’s perception even when he wasn’t actively trying to.

The man’s mind was just a constant drone of activity, he couldn’t seem to help it, and as a result whenever they were less than fifty feet away Harry felt like he had a radio set on static in his head, the white noise always at the back of his mind. When he had first told him that, the Scotsman had appeared both pleased his intellect transcended the telepath’s barriers, and annoyed that he literally couldn’t stop thinking too loudly.

Eggsy could see the look spreading across Harry’s face like ripples on water, and he knew whatever he had been thinking about didn’t bring him much joy. Could it be the same thing on his mind? Perhaps… but only time would tell, and now their questions were up.

“The basic training usually lasts a few weeks, depending on how you fare. Afterwards, if you’ll be found suitable for the intensive spy training, and if you’ll decide to apply, it will be a few months. And the reason why we can’t really talk much during that time is because I could help you cheat your way through the tests,” he said with an apologetic smile.

Not that he doubted Eggsy’s abilities, but rules were rules.

Eggsy nodded in understanding. Given Harry’s powers it made sense, but regardless of the necessity it didn’t sit very well in his stomach. He knew though that he’d be seeing Harry again and that was enough for him, at least for now. Eggsy also knew he shouldn’t really be so fixated on the man, but he was having a hard time caring.

“Usually, if a handler is present, a trainée can talk with the person who has proposed them as a candidate, but as I could quite literally just put whatever information you’d need to cheat directly into your brain…” Harry said with an apologetic smile, looking at the boy. “Only advice I can give you is trust your instincts and they’ll never lead you astray or betray you.”

Eggsy smiled almost convincingly as he nodded in agreement. His instincts were excellent he knew that, but sometimes following those instincts only managed to end with him shit side up… usually due to his powers granted; but shit was shit and it all smelled the same from down there. Eggsy didn’t say this of course, because he knew there was no point in crushing Harry’s charmingly high opinion of him. No point, and he absolutely did not want that opinion to change.

Instead Eggsy smiled again, this time a hair more believable accepting the situation for what it was.

With that, Harry pressed the button that opened the train’s door and walked out into Kingsman’s headquarters underground facilities proper, walking up to the glass window that showed a view of their hangar, with cars and planes and helicopters all but waiting to be deployed for a vital mission or another.

He turned to assess Eggsy’s expression, smiling softly at the sense of déja-vu and the pang of nostalgia he felt at the sight.

Eggsy looked to Harry, his face light and happy as he scan the oasis before him, trying not to linger too long on the handsome face staring back. It was incredible. More incredible than anything he’d ever seen. Harry Hart that is… the view beneath him came to a very close second.

“Your father had the same expression on his face,” he revealed, before turning again towards the hangar and adding, “As did I.”

When Eggsy heard that bit, he pictured his father standing where he was. Looking out that large window with awe in his eyes just as he was… He slid his gaze to Harry once more, but this time Harry wasn’t looking at him. Instead he was looking out across the sea of cars and jets alike, holding a look Eggsy couldn’t even begin to decipher... perhaps another time. He smiled to himself as he watched Harry walk slowly towards a door, choosing to following closely behind.

Harry opened the door to the side and exited what, technically, was Merlin’s office, to find the man himself standing in the hallway beyond it, his tablet in hand.

“Ah, Galahad,” he said.

“My codename,” Harry supplied quickly, turning to smile at Merlin.

“Late again. We had been expecting you half an hour ago,” he said with a raised eyebrow, flicking his gaze from Harry to the younger man at his side. “You must be Eggsy. It’s a pleasure meeting you. Welcome to Kingsman, lad. I’m Merlin, and I’m in charge of… well, pretty much everything, from handling missions to training recruits and coming up with new gadgets,” the Scotsman introduced himself, smirking at Harry’s irritated huff.

“I thought you said we were late?” Harry asked, frowning at his oldest friend. There was no telepathy needed to make it clear Harry was already feeling a bit protective of Eggsy.

“Of course, of course. Beyond this door,” Merlin said with a small smirk, pointing at a door in front of him, “is the recruits dormitory, slash common room. Lucky for you, there are a few other candidates who are just starting out, like you are, or that have been here less than a week anyway. Try to make friends and enjoy them while you can, because if you’ll pass to the intensive training session with any of them, you’re now entering a room full of future rivals.” The line was delivered cheerfully, and Harry couldn’t help but snort.

Eggsy couldn’t control the face he made, and it pulled about suspiciously; glancing from Merlin to Harry as he shifted his weight.

“Ignore Merlin’s flare for the dramatic, but be aware that what he said is also correct. There aren’t many spots available as the élite, or it wouldn’t be… well, élite. So, if you decide to go on with that, you’ll need to be careful about who you trust. Some would stop at nothing to succeed.”

Harry reached to squeeze Eggsy’s shoulder in a way that he hoped was reassuring, looking into the boy’s eyes and seeing nothing but determination in them. He smiled, satisfied, and let him go, taking a few steps back.

When Harry’s hand slid from his arm, he nodded assuredly trying not to think about the closeness he now felt slipping. And even though Eggsy knew he hadn’t - that he wouldn’t - when Harry spoke it was as if he _had_ read his mind.

“I’ll see you in a few weeks. Good luck.”

And just like that he drew a breath in then stepped through the door before him, but not before tossing Harry one last look over his shoulder. A look he hoped said everything he couldn’t, and judging by the way Harry smiled, it had done its job.


	3. Chapter 3

For Eggsy, Kingsman’s basic training was easy. Having a background in the Marines and gymnastics offered him something the other candidates didn’t have, with their focus more on academics than strength training. Not to say Eggsy wasn’t the studious type (in his earlier years anyway), in fact he was quite intelligent in more ways than one. But he possessed a different set of skills, and even though he was strong willed all of his hard work was made more difficult due to Charlie and the other high class, grade A dickheads.

Charlie Hesketh was cockier than any of the others; often times being the one to entice crude behavior in the other Stepford boys, and he legitimately acted like he shit gold. Charlie’s adept ability to control his electrokinesis didn’t help that arrogant countenance either, and more often than not he’d use that the skill he’d nearly perfected to torment others.

Eggsy being his favorite target of course. Tossing small jolts of electricity at him and his only friend aside from Harry in that place - Roxy. But Eggsy had a goal, and his determination was stronger than Charlie’s will to break him. He pushed through training with such ease it seemed like he was born for this.

Today for example served as a pointed reminder at how adept his physical prowess was compared to the others. The brisk jog he ran surpassed the other recruits with ease, where they were breathless, he was perfectly in control. He’d hardly even broken a sweat when the others were panting like the dogs they usually ran with.

It’s on that particular day that Harry decided to check up on Eggsy.

It was only natural for him to do so. After all, he had thrust the boy into a world that was completely unknown to him - forced to take the plunge out of the blue into the spy world.

Or, at least, that’s what Harry kept telling himself.

Truth was, besides his very faint worries that surely had no reasons to be, because Eggsy was a more than capable young man, Harry just wanted to see the boy again. To make sure he was adjusting fine, yes, and… because he missed those sparkling eyes and earnest smile, damn him.

He shouldn’t have. He really, really shouldn’t have.

Fixating on someone half his age was going to be troublesome, at the very least. Harry had no time for that kind of thing - he had to investigate on all the V.I.P.s that were going missing, after all. People vanishing into thin air was exactly the kind of thing Kingsman took care of. Whether it was a megalomaniac collecting celebrities or someone wiping them off the face of the Earth with his powers, it still concerned them enough to spur them into action. It was something that went well beyond any police, military force or other spy agency, both in terms of effort and resources, and only Kingsman could take care of such a crisis.

Yes. That was definitely what Harry should be thinking about.

Instead, he was watching the recruits running across the track field, his eyes fixed on Eggsy, wondering what was going on through the boy’s head about his current situation, so different from the way his life had been just three weeks earlier. He could find out easily enough, of course, but Harry wanted to be told by the boy who was at the centre of his focus, and so he stood at the outskirts of the track, waiting for Eggsy to circuit and take notice of him.

And, hopefully, they would be able to exchange a few words before he moved onto his next training exercise.

Eggsy did take notice to the tall handsome man, and he did so almost immediately. It was as if he could almost feel him standing there, watching him. And as his jog came to a slow, he made his way towards Harry with a wide smile. His breath was slightly labored and his brow shined in a fine layer of sweat. He may have been good at this, but he was still human.

When he reached Harry he pulled an arm across his forehead, and through his hair as he stretched his neck back and forth. Eggsy wasn’t exactly _trying_ to show off his neck and shoulders or anything like that… but if Harry seemed to notice he wouldn’t have minded one bit.

“What’re you doin’ out here? Ain’t you got a world t’save?” he asked sweetly stopping less than a meter away from the man, admiring his frame and the glint shining bright in his eyes. It really was good to see him, and that joy was painted across his face. As always his voice ran playfully on the verge of overly obvious and quite flirtatious, but Harry never seemed to mind.

Eggsy’s technique was transparent, but Harry would be a liar if he said he didn’t find it enticing. How could he not admire the way Eggsy’s smile turned blinding the moment he had spotted him, the way his eyes seemed to emit their own light like stars stolen from the sky, the way the muscles in his neck stretched and strained with the movement of his head? The young man was like a beautiful racehorse, demanding all the attention in the world. All of _Harry’s_ attention.

Who cared if it was a clear attempt at flirting, and, more importantly, who cared if it didn’t fall flat?

Far from it.

Surely, not Harry.

“Believe it or not, sometimes saving the world requires some mind work before it requires leg work. So much so, in fact, that I decided to take a stroll to stretch my limbs and clear my thoughts. Perhaps the fresh air and sunshine will give me some unexpected insight on my investigation,” Harry said, a smile on his lips to hide the truth of the reason why he was taking a walk by the training facilities.

Eggsy nodded, pulling his mouth into that signature, nearly wry curve of acceptance. He tilted his head tossing his eyes over his shoulder and back towards Merlin who of course had been watching, his hands linked together behind his back gripping that tablet tight.

“I’d join ya, but… bit busy.” he teased choosing to ignore the glowering face behind him. The next part he was absolutely sure he shouldn’t have said, especailly in THAT tone, but there was something about Harry that just told him to break the rules. And if he was being honest he really enjoyed the face Harry made every time he did it. Plus their time was short, so he may as well have fun with it. “You enjoin’ the view at least?”

Harry let his eyes rake over Eggsy’s body slowly, taking the way he filled up his jumpsuit, and hummed thoughtfully before meeting his eyes again.

“Well, you are a bunch of very promising recruits, so I suppose I am…” he said, not giving into Eggsy’s flirting. It wouldn’t be appropriate, not with the way Merlin was hanging in the background like a storm cloud ready to break open and rain on them. “Just as well, though. I have to go back to work, so if you did have time to join me I would sadly have to decline,” Harry said with a smile. Hopefully Eggsy would understand what he really meant: had they not been busy, there were few things he would have loved as much as taking a walk with Eggsy, and said things all involved the boy in some capacity.

Nothing too untoward, of course. Just innocent little things, like having tea at the manor, or going out for drinks in the evening. Getting more time to talk, to get to know each other better… it wouldn’t be much to ask, would it?

Eggsy pulled his top lip in, shifting his gaze to the ground as he nod once. A second later he looked to Harry again, smiling just once. He really did know what was going on, but he couldn’t help being a little disappointed as he often was when their moments were cut short.

At this point though (and given Harry’s set of powers) there was no need in giving him any reason to suspect said disappointment. Not like he thought Harry would read his mind or anything like that - but he didn’t want to give him any reason to. Because believe most of his thoughts were far from appropriate...

“Maybe next time.” he said stepping back, offering one last smile then turning to jog alongside the others, as if he’d never left. Eggsy never was very good at goodbyes and figured this way he could at least avoid that lingering dissatisfaction he felt pressing at his lips.

“Next time indeed.” Harry nodded in farewell at Eggsy, a smile curving his lips upwards as the young man jogged away, only for him to school his features a moment later when he found Merlin glowering at him from a distance.

Right. Back to work, then.

* * *

Work, as it often happened, turned out to be dreadfully boring.

As they had suspected professor James Arnold wasn’t a criminal mastermind, but a regular teacher at London’s Imperial College. He had gone missing, yes, but all of Merlin’s digging couldn’t unearth any dirty secrets: no affiliation to terror groups or organised crime, no illicit activity besides some recreational drug use, a couple arrests from the eighties and nineties, when he had been a vociferous protester against some of Thatcher and Major’s policies.

Nothing that could make them suspect anything was amiss, except for those few days the man had been gone while hundred of other V.I.P.s vanished in the exact same way - only to never show up again. If someone was bound to know something, professor Arnold might be it. Who was taking those people? Why had he been released so soon? Where had they taken him?

Not that Arnold was what people would commonly refer to as a celebrity, but he was a brilliant scientific mind with very unique ideas about climate change. His research had proven to have very solid bases, and that was what had secured his position at Imperial College.

It was also their best lead, despite not being much at all. Not very promising but Harry had done more with less, and the mission was easy enough - just a friendly chat with their human vanishing act.

If anything, it should be over with fairly quickly, Harry thought as he walked to the bullet train so he could get it over with.

Eggsy knew he should stay focused, and with the recruitment process weeding out those incapable of handling when things were tense. Tense yes, and also damn exciting. Eggsy had never been happier in his life actually, and that feeling alone was enough to keep him going. Well, that and each fleeting visit with Harry… those moments stolen when no one was looking, the tiny glances shared from across the room, or when they’d pass in the halls…

Every day that passed Eggsy felt himself more and more drawn to the man and it was not in a familial sense either. No, he had full on feelings for him at this point, and he hoped that this wouldn’t end with his bags packed and his memory wiped. More accurately he hoped it would end with that dinner date offered all those weeks ago, and with each test complete, it seemed soon he may finally be able to cash in.

Now was one of those times he ‘accidently’ stumbled into Harry in between lessons… He’d take his time strolling by Merlin’s office in hopes of catching him for just a moment. Even if it were just a glance or a pat on the shoulder, it was good enough. And even though he knew he shouldn’t, he really was having a hard time caring.

Eggsy leaned against Merlin’s empty desk, his back to the large screens as he stare forward in thought. It really was not a good idea to be fawning over a man like Harry, but it was nearly impossible for him. With that smile, and soft tilt of his head… it was nearly intoxicating and now like all other times when he heard the familiar patter of footsteps approaching he knew who they belonged to before he even saw who the sounds were attached to.

He stood crossing his arms, making his way towards Harry who to his surprise was actually alone this time. With a smile he stopped in the center, then leaned his shoulder to the edge of the door frame leisurely.

Harry paused in front of the door, surprised to find Eggsy there. He had just finished being briefed over his next mission by Merlin - something about a university professor going missing and then reappearing before an investigation could even begin - and he had been heading back to the bullet train, back to the shop and London proper.

But seeing Eggsy was a pleasant surprise indeed, with how little of the boy he got to see, and Harry couldn’t hold back the smile spreading on his face.

“Eggsy,” he greeted him, his voice maybe a touch too fond. “I wasn’t expecting to find you here. Merlin will be back shortly, if you were waiting for him.”

Eggsy smiled again, returning the greeting in full. “Yeah, I know… ain’t here for him. Jus’ had some good news for ya.” his chin lifting slightly when he spoke. “Thought you oughta know I’m goin’ through with it. The trainin’ I mean.”

He probably could have waited or just let Merlin tell Harry the news in truth, but any excuse to see him was a good one in his books.

“You are?” Harry asked, pleasant surprise in his voice. It wasn’t like he wasn’t expecting Eggsy to do so, but at the same time he knew it was a dangerous job, and he would never _ask_ of Eggsy to accept… not when he had loved ones at home to go back to. But he also knew Eggsy was as determined as they come, and if Merlin thought his powers could be of use in the field, then Harry was sure the young man could and would make it.

And probably become Kingsman’s best agent in the process.

“That’s excellent news, my boy,” Harry said with a smile, and if he couldn’t keep the fondness from his voice… no one was there to blame him for it. “You must get ready for things to become a lot more intense, then. Your stint with the marines probably gives you an advantage over other candidates, but Kingsman’s selections entail far more than simple resistance training. You’ll see,” he said, his lips quirking with amusement now. They didn’t know what was coming for them, and Harry didn’t envy them - especially not after going through the same exact trials as a young man himself.

Eggsy felt a twinkle low in his gut at the words ‘my boy’ and smiled sweetly at the way they sat at his ears. He tried (unsuccessfully) to hide the rose color that spread his cheeks as he pursed his lips and stuffed his hands nervously into his pockets. But then the rest of Harry’s sentence set in and he wondered just what was coming for him during this intensive training of theirs. Part of him wanted to ask, but he already knew the answer would be a ‘no’ so instead of letting his curiosity get the better of him; and decided to ask a question he knew he’d get an answer to.

“Think I got what it takes t’be a Kingsman then?” he smiled, definitely fishing for a compliment or two as he leaned deeper into the shoulder he held to the frame of the door. He hadn’t failed to notice the tone Harry had taken, and for once felt like he was the one who could read minds as he scan the face before him a hair too affectionately.

Harry took Eggsy in for a moment, considering his flushed cheeks and the hope in his eyes, and he could only smile at his question.

“Frankly? I do. I wouldn’t even have proposed you if I didn’t.” It was the honest to god truth, and he knew Eggsy could see it in his face. “I would just have recommended you to join our medical division, and left things at that. But I really do think you have a brilliant future - a career - in this field in front of you.”

He observed Eggsy’s relaxed posture, and tilted his head to the side with a small smirk.

“But that doesn’t mean you’ll pass for sure. Every trial could be your undoing, every danger your downfall. You will be tested at every turn, broken down and built back up. Your mettle and your spirit will be tried time and time again, and the moment you slip… you’re going to be out.” It was the grim truth, and he wanted Eggsy to be ready for it all. Just because Harry thought he had what it took to succeed didn’t mean he should take things lightly at all.

It was also more than Harry should have said, really, but he didn’t want Eggsy to relax at his compliment and underestimate what was in front of him. That would certainly bring him to failure.

Eggsy felt his muscles tensing at all his talk of what was ahead of him, and lowered his brows lightly as he push himself from the frame with a frown. “Well, shit, Harry…” he paused shaking his head side to side, letting a small laugh escape as he run his hand over his hair and down his neck in a stretch. “Thanks for that. Feel much better bout it all now.”

He laughed more outright this time because what started out as a simple chat got pretty serious real quick. It wasn’t like Eggsy didn’t understand the seriousness of it all - believe that he did - and each day that passed he remembered his own father’s death was due to this ‘intensive training’. But he also didn’t need to think about it just yet. At least, not in this moment… or really anymore past this point actually. Thinking about failure leads to failure, and he really couldn’t afford to lose.

“Quite,” Harry said with a chuckle of his own at Eggsy’s reaction. It was rather predictable, after all, and he had said his fair share of curses back in the day. “Don’t take anything for granted. And, as I’ve said before, trust your instincts and you’ll be fine.”

Harry studied Eggsy’s far more somber expression now, and gave a smile he hoped was reassuring enough, coupled with a slight squeeze to Eggsy’s shoulder. Unfortunately, he also had to go. Already this exchange could be considered Eggsy cheating, and not for the first time Harry was grateful that no one but Merlin ever bothered to check the security footage.

“I have a mission I should attend to now, but I’ll be sure to see you in the next few days,” the man said, his gaze turning apologetic now, but never leaving Eggsy’s eyes.

Eggsy could sense Harry’s apprehension on parting as heavily as he felt it in his chest as he leaned into the hand at his shoulder. Their time together was never long enough, and as the days went on they seemed shorter and shorter. But it did bring him comfort to know Harry was never gone for more than a day or two, and it did make seeing him again that much sweeter each time. Plus having that vote of confidence rang like a bell, one loud enough to overlap the ring of possible failure, and for now that was enough.

“See you soon, yeah?” he offered one last grin as Harry’s hand fell to his side, and immediately Eggsy missed the warmth that firm yet tender grasp offered.

“Of course,” Harry said, his voice still a shade too fond, but he couldn’t seem to help it. His affection for Eggsy just shone through in everything he did. With a parting nod, Harry walked up to the bullet train and boarded it, resisting the urge to glance back at his protégé until the metal door had closed behind him, only allowing himself a fleeting look through the tiny window before the carriage sped away through the tube.

* * *

Ever since Eggsy decided to go forth with the intensive training, things had been bumped up a notch. Or rather It went from vigorous working out, strength and endurance training to situations that put one’s life at risk. Now, it wasn’t that Eggsy minded almost dying every other day or anything, but it did seriously get old.

The first of the tasks was simple enough once they figured out just what was expected of them. Their room was completely submerged in water, and all means of escape were blocked. They had one mission: to not die. Considering they were underwater nearly half of their powers were rendered useless, but Charlie and the others still at least had mildly helpful information to contribute.

Eggsy however didn’t listen to the lazy approach of sitting back with a shower head in the loo, and instead took it upon himself to swim the room in search of an exit. Nothing was found however and as he felt his breath slipping more and more with each second he felt his time running out. It was getting harder to breath, but he knew what he had to do.

Eggsy swam towards the two way mirror in the back of the room, and closed his eyes tightly. A moment later the sounds of the room echoing through the water had stopped; and so with it did everything else. When he turned around he saw the other recruits hair frozen in their swimming waves, the bubbled of their breath suspended before their opened eyes…

He had done it, and for some reason in doing so he was able to breath. It was as if he too was frozen in that space… but somehow he knew he couldn’t hold it long. He swam through the suspended bubbles, shoving them aside as he propped himself against the window and began punching it. The force of the water fought his every swing, but he pushed through as the sounds of the room slowly came into focus. And just as time returned to normal, the glass shattered under his hand, and out with all the water came the rest of them.

The task ended unceremoniously with equal amounts of scolding and praise, but ultimately they all failed considering one of the applicants wound up drowning.

The point? Teamwork. The outcome? Failure.

The next set of trials were equally dangerous but all the more satisfying. The Kingsman version of The Danger Room was about as fun as it sounded. Part of the time - or at least at the start of his training - the room was used for scenarios where they all had to focus on honing their skills and powers against a variety of things. This time however it was a bit different… the walls designed to entice fear and bring your worst nightmares to life did it’s job efficiently. It wasn’t for the faint of heart, and even though it wasn’t actually real in there it was hard to tell that to the things taunting your sanity around every corner.

This paired with the skydiving test did the job of clearing the board so to say, and after that it was down to Roxy, Charlie and Eggsy himself.

The shit part of it all was how close he’d grown to Rox. The idea of having to go against her possibly, or having to fight her for a job… position - whatever the hell it was - didn’t sit well in his stomach. It left a tainted taste in the back of his throat and there was nothing he wanted more than to _not_ do this. But he did know what was coming when he signed on for this, and now it was almost time to pay the price.

But fortunately for their friendship, they had a little bit longer to pretend they weren’t gunning for the same position. And by ‘a bit longer’, Eggsy really meant several weeks, which for someone that literally specialised in controlling time, that shouldn’t have mattered. It should be long enough to focus on said specialty as well, but with intensive training nearing its end he couldn’t help but nearly fear it and it’s finality.

It was when Eggsy and the others were taking a break from their power specific training that Merlin went to find the lad, his face grave rather than its usual stern when he called him apart from the rest of the group.

Once they were far enough from the dormitories, Merlin took a steading breath and looked his trainée in the eyes and said, matter of factly, “Eggsy, there has been an accident during Harry’s last recon mission. Unfortunately, he’s in a coma and we don’t know when he’ll wake up.” _If_ , he thought but didn’t say, knowing Harry was too stubborn to go so easily.

“Wh...” Eggsy went to reply, but before the word even fully formed it fell dry between his lips. He lowered his brows, scrunching his face slightly at the news and its meaning. “How?” he managed to get out, the shock and uncertainty spreading his face like a stain on white fabric.

“I’m afraid that’s classified information,” Merlin said regretfully. “But I can tell you things are looking up. There’s no discernible traumas, and we’re trying to determine the cause of his unconsciousness. It might have to do with what happened during his mission, but it will take a while to decrypt the data he transmitted through his glasses.”

Eggsy had to hold back the small scoff he felt begging for release as he forced an understanding nod. He really hated being told things were ‘classified’ but he respected Merlin enough not to fight him on this one at least. Not when it came to Harry.

“Can I see him at least?” he asked much softer than intended, words silky and smooth with his brows lowered in concern. As the seconds trickled on he felt a nervous bubbling rising up his chest at possibility that Merlin would say ‘no’ or offer another excuse based on rules and regulation… or even worse that Harry might not wake up at all.

Merlin hesitated, but eventually he could only sigh and nod his head curtly at Eggsy.

“Aye, you may, but don’t let that distract you, Eggsy.” The Scotsman owed that much to Eggsy and Harry both, and if the way they were so taken by each other was any indication, Harry himself would be very cross at Merlin if he were to wake up and find out Eggsy hadn’t been allowed to visit him.

But, to be fair, knowing how vain the man was… he might as well be cross because he let Eggsy see him in less than optimal form.

“You should keep focusing on your training - make him proud,” Merlin said, hoping he sounded more reassuring than he thought he did. He really was no good at human interactions.

Fortunately for Merlin, Eggsy wasn’t much better, at least not in situations such as these. Situations he had no idea how to process let alone react to. So instead of offering any semblance of a reply, he nodded once sending his eyes over the Scotsman’s shoulder towards the long corridor that lead to medical bay.

Those tiny pinpricks making their way up his stomach and arms; each poke urging him to just wrap this up so he could check on Harry… Once he did that, he could focus, like Merlin said. Once Eggsy did that, he could get through whatever may be coming next.

But not without making sure he was alright first.

“Thanks.” was all he said before stepping past Merlin, with only one destination in mind.

Merlin watched the lad go with a heavy sigh and a resigned shake of his head. The way he jogged down the hallway made Merlin worry about whether telling him about Harry’s condition had been a good or bad idea, but ultimately he knew Eggsy had every right to know. He just hoped it wouldn’t compromise his training.


	4. Chapter 4

Eggsy had been working non-stop since since the day he walked through that door. Pushing his body and his mind further than he dreamed possible, he even managed to figure out his powers… a bit. Eggsy did have a pretty good mentor and motivator though, and it was a promise made all those weeks ago that helped to keep him going.

Alright, maybe not entirely. It may have started that way, but the more that Eggsy went on with training, and the more he saw the things Kingsman did for mutants and humans alike; the more he needed to be a part of it almost desperately. The more he saw his potential and wanted to live up to it. This really was his last good chance to make a life for himself, and it seemed he really might make the cut this time.

It wasn’t always easy for Eggsy though, not with Charlie and the others constantly trying to put him in his place. Constantly reminding him of where and what he came from... what he really was, just some pleb. But Eggsy never let those words bother him, he’d heard them a thousand times before. Even though Harry had been unconscious for an alarmingly long time he in part stayed strong for him.

Another thing that wasn’t so easy for Eggsy was having to see a man he’d grow to admire in such a vulnerable state. His hair unkempt, and those soft kind eyes hidden from sight… he didn’t realise how much he loved that smile until he hadn’t seen it for a week either, and that was just part of it. And then the weeks kept coming and Eggsy couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Harry would always be like this... but something told him he was stronger than all that.

That no matter what, nothing could keep him down, or at least that’s what Eggsy told himself every evening he left Harry’s bedside.

No one ever filled Eggsy in on the details about whatever happened on Harry’s last mission, but it clearly wasn’t anything good; and ever since that day Harry had been like this. It wasn’t something that he wanted to admit, but he missed Harry more than he should have. And he was pretty positive that even though he tried not being obvious about it, Merlin knew good and well why he’d paid so many visits to sick bay.

But Eggsy didn’t really mind. Harry had done so damn much for him - everything really, and all their little meetings before his accident, no matter how brief, left him with a deep seeded attachment to the man. An attachment and far more feelings than he should have…

Which was why when Merlin pulled him aside one day to tell him Harry was awake, he felt a jolt spread through him like a static shock; the kind you feel when you touch someone and it sorta hurts, but in an oddly satisfying way.

Eggsy’s words leaving his mouth far too eagerly and his eyes locked intently to Merlin’s when he spoke them. “He’s alright then, yeah? Everythin’s fine?”

Merlin lowered his brows momentarily as he scan the face before him. He had been doing this long enough to know what someone’s facial expression meant, and the one he was seeing now was blatantly obvious to him. That boy had a crush… and if the way Harry had been acting since the boy came to Kingsman said anything, it was that the feeling was mutual.

But Merlin also knew enough about human nature, and his dear friend Harry Hart, to say that feelings could sometimes just be feelings. And there was no need to worry about something that hasn't come to pass. So he nodded with a smile, unable to hide his appreciation as he answered. “He is,” Merlin paused linking his hand around his wrist, before continuing more lighter than before. “and I think he’d like to see you.”

“But what about…” Eggsy protested lightly thinking on the rules, but Merlin just gave him a puzzled face, shrugged and walked away.

Eggsy smiled bashfully to his feet, tossing his eyes towards the sick bay before making his way towards Harry. Each step he took bubbled those nerves further, spreading up his chest and down his fingertips… he could feel the vibration clear to his chest pulsing his heartbeat like a drum in his ears.

When Eggsy reached the door he didn’t move an inch though. Instead he just stood there staring at it with hands clenched into tight fists. Technically they shouldn’t be alone together and he knew it, but clearly Merlin was more than okay with making an exception so all he had to do was turn that knob… yet, he couldn’t.

What would he even say when he was on the other side of that door?

It wasn’t like Eggsy could just walk up and tell Harry how intently he’d been thinking about him could he? No, he really couldn’t… but before Eggsy could even toy with the idea, he’d already slipped his hands around the doorknob and shoved through the door.

Harry was standing there, tall as ever with his back facing him as he entered. His broad shoulders weren’t in the suit Eggsy had grown used to, but a deep red robe and Harry looked just like a dream. He turned slowly to face Eggsy after a moment, but neither of them said a thing at first, they just seemed to stare with soft smiles and eyes transfixed.

Eggsy opened his mouth to speak, blinking back the butterflies he felt flying rampant in his stomach but nothing came out. He swallowed deeply, straightened his back and then smiled more confidently than before. “How’d you sleep?”

Harry had been waiting for Eggsy to enter the room. Ever since their first encounter, and then more and more so after each fleeting moment spent together, Eggsy’s mind had become a bit like Merlin’s, to Harry. Except, instead of the too loud frenzy of a frantic mind that could never rest, the boy felt like a ray of summer sunshine warming Harry from the inside out, the warmth of his presence getting stronger every time they saw each other.

Harry wasn’t sure whether that or the sight of the boy after so long was what had his stomach break up in a storm of butterflies, but he found that the words that had been on the tip of his tongue just moments before - “Ever heard of knocking?” - died a quiet death as he took in the way Eggsy’s slightly longer hair framed his face neatly with the way it was combed back, the colour more coppery blonde than the light brown he remembered from it being worn almost buzzed short.

The style suited him well, and already made him look more like a Kingsman agent. Harry remembered the determination in the boy’s eyes when he had told him about his desire to move onto the intensive training, as he remembered the swell of pride at his boy for wanting to push forward. And, it was clear by the way his body had filled up with muscles and his posture commanded attention that he was absorbing every lesson up eagerly, making them his own as he succeeded trial after trial - with very good results from what Merlin had told him.

After a moment, Harry couldn’t keep himself from smiling at the young man in front of him, taking in the sight of him for a moment before he replied, “I suppose a nap was long overdue.” His gaze flickered to the small dog accompanying Eggsy, and his smile only grew wider as the pug barked at him.

“I heard your advanced training is going well.” he said, glad that Merlin had taken the time to fill him in on Eggsy’s accomplishments other than on their current mission regarding professor Arnold. “And I hope so is your little canine friend’s training?”

“JB,” Eggsy added unable to hold back the glee he felt, and it spread his face with ease. Actually, he realised that this was one of the only times a pure smile had escaped since Harry had been hurt. But like usual, this wasn’t the time or the place to share such feelings and Eggsy had no idea how long they had, so it was better to keep things as professional as possible.

Which turned out to be impossible, and before he knew what he’d done Eggsy tossed a wink at Harry before looking to JB. “Sit.” And when he spoke, JB let a small bark release then obeyed his masters orders. Eggsy looked back to Harry with a cheeky and satisfied smile, all too proud of himself and his pup as he stepped closer. Eggsy could smell the fresh aftershave, and noticed how nice Harry’s freshly shaven face and combed hair looked; and just for a moment he toyed with the idea that all of it had been done for him.

A second later he released a sigh before pulling his lip in to chew nervously, as he search his mind for the right words. Eggsy was trying for relaxed, but feared he was somewhere closer to really-damn-anxious or overly-obvious with his tone. “See? We’re doin’ great. Better than you been.” he ended with another cheeky smile, ear to ear.

“That much is certain,” Harry said with a raise of his eyebrows, his eyes betraying his amusement despite his dry tone. He took in Eggsy’s face, trying to reconcile this proud young man with the defeated boy he had met a few months earlier, noticing small details that he wouldn’t have had he witnessed his growth day after day. In a way, that was a small benefit of being in a coma. “You’re doing even better than I’d hoped, if I’m honest. I didn’t expect your scores to be as stellar as they are, even though I did expect you would be among the top of your class.” If he failed to hide the pride in his voice, well… no one could really blame him, could they?

Eggsy let a short laugh escape as he pressed the tip of his tongue between his lips. He swallowed down the soft prickle he felt building up his chest, allowing JB to pull him forward. The dog was awfully curious about Harry, and it wasn’t like Eggsy minded getting a closer look himself if he was being honest. “Couldna done it without ya.” he confessed standing more than a little too close to Harry as JB sniffed away at his ankles.

His gaze danced between the eyes before him carefully, unsure about what it was he meant to do. Probably best to keep the flirting to a minimum he reminded himself, but when his lips parted, his words betrayed him once more and rung with playfulness. “I mean you was sleepin’ most the time, but…”

Harry chuckled at that, sparing a glance to the pug sniffling curiously at his slippers before looking back into the earnest, brilliant eyes in front of him.

“Nonsense. I just nudged you in the right direction,” he said, shrugging. It was true, after all. He didn’t feel like he deserved any more credit than that. “Everything else is an accomplishment you, and only you, reached for yourself. And that’s every bit as impressive as it sounds, and the fact that you made it while I was unconscious is proof of that,” Harry said with one of his rare honest smiles, which admittedly were more often than not aimed at Eggsy in the first place.

It was incredible, almost worrying how the boy could inspire such feelings of softness in Harry - a man that, until recently, lived for his work and nothing else.

“I suspect that’s why Merlin allowed you in. He knows neither of us would cheat, and even if we did, you clearly don’t need it at this point.”

Eggsy nodded softly, the more his head moved the more he understood and even believed Harry’s words of praise. It really was his hard work and his hard work alone that got him here, but Harry didn’t realise how much of an inspiration he’d been. Maybe he never would understand fully, but there was something about the way Harry seemed to be looking at him now that made him all but forget it. It was hard to focus on this chat about his training when he couldn’t stop staring…

Another soft inhale later and he opened his mouth, nearly choking on his words. “I missed seein’ you, y’know?” Immediately when he said it, he scrunched his nose and closed his eyes to the side almost painfully.

Now he’d done it… one second things are normal, just fine and dandy, and the next he’s acting like a bloody idiot telling his ‘mentor’ he missed him. Now was one of those times he wished he’d had the whole time control bit more within his grasp, because right now he’d have given a leg to just rewind, or even pause so he could run away or something.

Despite Eggsy’s clear embarrassment, the words were more than welcome, and Harry smiled softly at the young man, forcing his hands into his dressing gown pockets to avoid reaching out for him. He wasn’t sure a touch to his shoulder wouldn’t try and turn into a full blown hug, after all.

“I’m sorry about it. I promise, usually I’m not this incident prone,” he said with a small smile. “But I’m fine now, and I must apologise. It was not my intention to make you worry.”

Eggsy stepped closer, clearly his confession hadn’t bothered Harry at all. Actually, if the small smirk Harry was sporting said anything at all, it was that he didn’t mind a bit in fact it seemed welcomed. He smiled, less than a foot from Harry, looking up with brows raised softly. When he spoke this time, his words were soft, light and full of insinuation. He wasn’t sure what came over him, but suddenly he just... “What, you tryna say you didn’t miss me?”

He swallowed, taking one more step towards Harry, and now they were nearly chest to chest. Eggsy could feel as both their breathing quickened, and noticed the look spreading the otherwise serene face before him. He felt the quiet patter of their heartbeats mixing as their breath swam as one.

Eggsy looked up at Harry after a moment, smiled softly then glanced to his lips for just a second before pulling his own between a row of teeth. “I know you did.” he whispered.

One didn’t need to be a mind reader to know Eggsy’s intentions. Harry couldn’t say he wasn’t tempted - because _he was_ , very much so - but at the same time he knew that nothing could happen. Not until after the trials were over, at least. There was no way of knowing who would find out, and then Harry would surely be accused of favouritism and Eggsy kicked out for cheating even though he hadn’t…

But, surely, the briefest of kisses could be nothing more but a reward for a job well done?

“Eggsy…” Harry said, but just as he’s done debating and considering and has made up his mind, leaning in towards the boy just a fraction of an inch, a firm knock comes from the door.

When Eggsy noticed that lean in, however slight it may be, his lips curled into a knowing grin. He’d of guessed the feeling was mutual with all the little glances he was sure he’d been receiving, but this was the proof he needed, and that gesture said more than anything else.

Harry jumped back as if burned, his eyes wide and startled - an emotion that was more unique than anything on his face. But it didn’t happen every day to be so distracted by something (some _one_ ) that he would completely miss the grumpy buzzing of Merlin’s thought at the periphery of his mind.

Eggsy wasn’t sure what would happen next, but something told him that they’d crossed a line. No, nothing happened exactly, but it was clear as it was day right now that they both wanted it to, and that in itself said something.

Harry took a step back and cleared his throat, not trusting his voice not to croak otherwise, and called, “Come in,” without looking at Eggsy’s face, but training his eyes on the door instead.

Merlin entered the room with the expression of someone who wasn’t sure what he would find beyond the door he had just opened. He cast a glance at the two men, his eyes flitting from Eggsy to Harry, turning stern.

Harry can’t help but feel like one of his butterflies, pinned by that stare as he is, his face hopefully back to its aloof mask and not painfully transparent to his oldest friend.

“Ah, Eggsy. I’m afraid I have to talk to Harry in private now,” Merlin said, straightening his back and clutching his tablet as he looked at the youngest man in the room. “Dismissed.”

“Nonsense,” Harry said despite his better judgment, meeting Merlin’s scolding gaze head on. “Let him observe. He might learn something.”

Truth was, he knew that the moment they’d be left alone Merlin would chastise him for his flirting. He was sure the man knew what had almost transpired, as Harry had almost been found with a hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

And, sure enough, Merlin went to stand between them, his clipboard at the ready. All of this was not missed by Eggsy’s oblivious gaze he now wore. No, Eggsy saw a lot he didn’t let on, and that exchange was one of them. He cleared his throat, then gave an absent pat to JB, doing his best to ignore the very intentional placement of Merlin’s body between them.

“Well, I’ve checked the footage from your glasses,” Merlin started, only to be interrupted by Harry.

“The files were encrypted,” he said with a slight glare at his friend, even as he turned to face the television screen in the room. Harry is not ashamed by the fact that a collection of pictures and data about Eggsy’s training is currently on display on the monitor. After all, he had been out of commission for a while and he needed to catch up on the boy’s accomplishments.

“Please,” Merlin scoffed, unimpressed. “I’m a technopath, remember?” he said with a smirk, reminding Harry that no technological contraption was ever really safe from Merlin’s abilities.

Eggsy smiled to his feet as he watch the two old friends. There was an air of professionalism lined with a strong sense of trust and companionship, and it made him miss his mates for a moment. But it was nice to see Harry smile and behave in such a relaxed manner, and he couldn’t help but stare at the beauty of it all. He of course was more distracted by the handsome face before him, and not the collage of his accomplishments to be clear.

And with a swipe of Merlin’s hand on his tablet, the images on the screen disappeared to show the recording of Harry’s encounter with the late professor Arnold.

The scene played, and Harry braved through the sight of a man’s head exploding, quite literally, in his face. At the time he had closed his eyes, for obvious reasons, but now he didn’t, trying to understand what the _hell_ had happened.

“Holy fuck, Harry!” Eggsy almost yelled, his face puling about in shock and utter mortification as he switch his puzzled eyes back to Harry. But Harry was staring calmly at the monitor instead. “You blew up his head? Bit much, innit?”

He ignored Eggsy’s exclamation, both the expletives and the accusinfìg words, as Merlin zoommed on a patch of Arnold’s neck, focusing on the skin as it appeared to… glow?

“There was something under his skin, right there. I believe that’s what caused the explosion. It must have been some artificial contraption. And with where it was placed, and the reaction we are witnessing, I’d say it must have been a microchip of some sort. I don’t know what triggered it, or why it was there, unfortunately. I could have if the body hadn’t exploded, but…” he turned to raise an eyebrow at Harry, and the man huffed.

Eggsy’s brows lowered once more, he had finally caught on. But it still was a bit much, and someone had in fact blown the guys head up. So who the hell was it? He was more than a little curious, and that eagerness was clear across his face.

“I was disoriented. Someone’s head had just exploded in my face and two armed guards had just appeared, I did the first thing that came to mind.” He hesitated, then added with a sigh, “I suppose I could have avoided landing on my head when I jumped out of that window, though.”

“That’s not what happened,” Merlin said dryly.

“It isn’t?”

Merlin stared at Harry for a moment, and an intrusive thought that wasn’t his own wormed its way into his mind, the heavy brogue laced with judgement as Merlin said right in his head, “ _You checked the boy’s progress before even bothering to check your_ own _medical records?_ ” in a disbelieving tone.

Harry didn’t deign that with a verbal reply, simply giving a minute shrug of his shoulder. Once again Eggsy’s keen observance caught wind, and he knew something had happened. He didn’t have time to try and figure out what before Merlin was speaking again.

“Nae, you didn’t even have a concussion. That’s not what caused your coma. That leaves…”

“The explosion?” Harry supplied, a frown of confusion creasing his brow.

“Indeed. From the chip’s location, I believe its purpose had something to do with brainwaves. If so, it stands to reason that an explosion could somehow meddle with your powers, and that’s more likely what sent you out like a light,” Merlin explained. “Especially if you were lurking around Arnold’s head. Or, who knows, maybe it was just the trauma of the mind you were inside of exploding while yours was touching it.”

Harry considered it. “I suppose those are as likely explanations as any.” Then, after a moment spent mulling it over, he asked, “Did my device pick up a signal?”

Merlin nodded, swiping his hand again to clear the footage away. “Yes, it did. Unfortunately, it tracked it back to Richmond Valentine.” The man’s picture appeared on the screen at Merlin’s command. “He’s a billionaire, owns a lot of companies. The signal could come from any of them, any of his millions of employees…”

“Richmond Valentine is a fuckin’ genius.” Eggsy exclaimed as he watched the screen before him. When neither man spoke, he looked at them and they were both already been staring at him as if he’d said something ridiculous. “Did you not hear his announcement?”

Merlin exchanged a confused glance with Harry, then looked at the boy again and said, “No?”

Harry didn’t comment on the fact that he had been comatose when whatever announcement Eggsy was talking about came out.

When they both only started again, Eggsy smiled wide. He really did enjoy being the one to know something they didn’t this time, and marveled in an opportunity to show it. Another grin later he grabbed the tablet from Merlin’s hands and pulled up his recent press announcement.

Across the screen stood Richmond Valentine. He went on to explain his plan to provide the general public with internet, talk, text, the whole shebang - completely free of charge through his universal sim cards. Now everyone in the entire world would have access to something they probably never would before. It really was incredible. Or so Eggsy thought until Merlin pulled the tablet from his hands. But before that reprimanding look could spread on Merlin’s face, Harry grabbed the tablet denying him in full.

Merlin crossed his arms, only half caring as he observe whatever Harry was doing. He had rewound the tape revealing the same scar behind Valentine’s assistants right ear… Harry zoomed in on the incision with a small smile creeping, tossing his eyes to Merlin than Eggsy almost instinctively.

“Valentine’s assistant has the same scar… I believe it’s time for a tete a tete.” Harry looked back to the screen just as Merlin pulled the tablet from his grasp a hair quicker than deemed appropriate. But they’d been friends a long time, and it was all in good fun.

A moment later Merlin spoke again, turning to face Harry a bit more.. He was trying to ignore the amount of times he’d seen his old friend look past him and to the boy, but Harry was making it a little hard. _“I thought you were supposed to be good at this?”_ the message was sent silently, but Harry acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Merlin exhaled then began typing away at his tablet. “He’s having a gala dinner next week. I’ll get you an invitation, of course.” he paused momentarily looking to Harry once more, his voice filled with warning. “But be careful… You should know that since you’ve been out hundreds of V.I.P’s have gone missing. No notes, nothing - just gone.”

Harry smiled again, “You better make my alias someone worth kidnapping then.”

Eggsy didn’t like that idea one bit though, and couldn’t help the face he made. He’d just got Harry back… and now, he was going off to get himself kidnapped or some shit. Eggsy did not like it at all, and that was painted painfully obvious to him; but when Harry’s eyes met his own it seemed for just a moment that neither of them cared.

Harry wished he could spend some time with his boy, but unfortunately duty already called to him. A week wasn’t nearly enough to get ready for field duty, not after so long spent in a coma, but what he couldn’t build back up in strength he could at least make up for by honing his reflexes once again. Of course, he also hoped there would be no need to fight with anyone in the first place, but a Kingsman agent was nothing if not ready for every possible occurrence.

“I’ll take advantage of the gala to sneak around Valentine’s home and investigate. If he has anything incriminating, I’ll bring it back. He may not be our man, after all,” Harry said.

Merlin nodded. “It should be a simple infiltration mission to recover data. If he knows anything, Harry will find out,” he explained to Eggsy, looking at the lad, hoping to ease his concerns.

“If he is our man, we’ll intervene. If he isn’t, hopefully we’ll find enough to piece together who we are actually looking for. Be as it may, I’m sure the chip and the kidnappings are related. After all, professor Arnold himself had gone missing for a while, before popping back out with an auto-destruct button in his head,” Harry pointed out. “Seems more than worth looking into. If someone’s implanting that kind of thing into people’s heads, we should at the very least find out _why_.”

Eggsy released the breath he’d been holding, shifting his gaze back to the screen before him and away from Harry. There was a strange air in the room and he honestly couldn't wait to get out of there. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to be with Harry of course, but it was those looks Merlin kept sending that made him anxious. He took a small step towards the door following as JB pulled forward with a whimper.

He glanced back at the two men with a smile set, far more convincing than he could have hoped. “This seems like my time to go, don’it?” a pause later, and he continued; this time aimed at Harry, his words lined in apprehension as his lips pressed to a fine line. “Be careful.”

Merlin nodded his head. “You shouldn’t be listening into mission details, so it’s best if you go,” he agreed.

Harry actually wished he could hold Eggsy back, keep him there a while longer, but he just smiled as he followed the young man with his eyes, nodding in his direction. “Of course. Focus on your training, and I’ll be back before you know it,” he said, reassuringly.

Eggsy continued walking, backwards this time. Each step light as he hold that smile in place. In that moment it was almost like Merlin wasn’t there at all. He lifted his hand offering a lazy salute and wink Harry’s direction, before fully turning and pressing through the door, calling over his shoulder one last time. “Good.”

Harry watched his protégé go with a small smile of his own, his gaze following him until he disappeared beyond the heavy doors of the medical bay. The moment Eggsy was gone, his sunny energy fading farther and farther away with every step he took back to the training facilities, all that was left was Merlin’s stormy emotions brewing besides him.

On a good day, Merlin’s thoughts were orderly and collected, like the buzzing of a productive beehive; at that moment, they felt like someone had let a cat loose on a synth board.

“You can’t be serious,” the Scotsman hissed the moment they were alone.

“Merlin…” Harry started, trying to placate the irate man next to him, but that only made him snap in retaliation.

“You _cannot_ be serious,” he repeated, clutching his tablet tight enough that Harry was surprised it hadn’t snapped in two.

“I can assure you, my intentions are nothing but pure.” The words got him an incredulous snort and a shake of Merlin’s head.

“You wouldn’t know pure if it slapped you in the face.”

“Do you think that’s why they gave me the Galahad title?” Harry asked, but when he finally met Merlin’s gaze he could see how dead serious the man was. “I know what you’re thinking. But Eggsy is… special. I can feel him in my mind, you know? The way I can feel you.” That gave Merlin pause, but when the man didn’t reply, Harry continued. “And I only started feeling you in my mind after twenty years spent using, handling, and wearing tech you were basically sitting inside of. And your continued friendship, of course.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes, considering Harry’s words. “Do you mean to tell me you’re made for each other?” he asked, incredulous.

Harry scoffed. “Certainly not. That would be a ridiculous notion to entertain. But you can’t deny what it means. There’s a connection there, something I’ve never felt with anyone else. And I want to cultivate it, to watch it grow… and see what it can become.”

“Just like Eggsy.”

“He’s an adult, not a potted plant,” was Harry’s half-hearted retort, but he knew Merlin was right. He did want to nurture the boy, to watch him become the man he had known he could be all along.

There was a long moment of pause, where Harry held back from reading Merlin’s way too loud thought, but when it passed it was clear that Merlin believed him. Harry would have been offended by the Scotsman’s mistrust, if it weren’t warranted; but it wouldn’t be the first time Harry dabbled into unsavoury relationships, and it was clear they both cared for Eggsy - not just as Lee Unwin’s son, but on his own merit. It was only normal for Merlin to worry, and to be quite honest Harry was touched by it.

He couldn’t help but tease Merlin about it.

“Have you taken a shine on the boy?”

For a moment he thought Merlin wasn’t going to reply. Instead, he huffed and then said, “Of course I have. He’s one of the most promising recruits of the past decade.”

Harry chuckled, but left it at that. Instead of teasing Merlin for showing some emotions, for once, he said, “Let me know what you find out about this Valentine person. I’ll notify medical about my need to start rehabilitation immediately.”

“Of course. I will let you know when I find out something.” Merlin walked to the wall mounted display and touched the side of it, a string of electricity connecting his fingers to it when he pulled his hand back, and he deftly redirectioned the data inside his tablet.

Harry had once joked that Merlin had stuffed his soul in there as well, like a real life Voldemort. Merlin had never denied that.

“I’ll get to work. It’s good to see you back on your feet, Galahad,” the Scotsman said as he walked to the door, leaving Harry to smile to himself, glad to have his oldest friend’s approval after all.


	5. Chapter 5

The infiltration mission at Valentine’s gala dinner turned out to be a disaster, and Harry was sure to tell Merlin as much on three separate occasions - as he left the house, as he boarded the plane back to London, and at the debriefing in the man’s office, spent mostly recounting everything that had happened step by step while Merlin rubbed his temples in frustration.

Valentine had proved to be more insightful than they had predicted. With the excuse of not knowing who “Mr DeVere” - Harry’s alias - was, the man had cancelled his gala dinner and had turned it into a far too private affair.

They had exchanged enough frustrating banter on old spy movies - on Valentine’s insistence, no less - that Harry was sure the man knew he was there on a mission to find out whether the billionaire was involved in the hundred of disappeared V.I.P.s and, most importantly, what the hell had happened to professor Arnold’s head.

If Valentine had caused the explosion through whatever piece of machinery had been implanted in the man’s head, whatever he had been planning couldn’t be anything good. Best case scenario, he was simply hoping to use celebrities as forced spokespeople for a more environmentally responsible behaviour; worst case… well, the only sensible hypothesis they could think of was that Valentine had swapped his efforts from more research into ways of stopping climate change to physically conditioning people into adopting a more eco-friendly behaviour through mind controlling chips.

But why start with celebrities rather than just take random, low profile people from the streets? Unless he had done that completely unnoticed, of course, and taking V.I.P.s was his way of stepping up his game.

Harry hated not understanding a villain’s motives as much as Merlin did, but there was frustratingly little they could do. The only apparently useful piece of information Harry had managed to get from Valentine’s house was a pamphlet about South Glade Mission Church, a charming little community based in Kentucky and made up entirely of closed minded bigots who preached hatred towards anyone who wasn’t as white, straight or American as them.

It made no sense, but Harry had had a very long few days and so they decided to sleep on it for a while and try to make sense of it all in a day or two.

After all, as Merlin had informed him, the loyalty trial with the train would be that Saturday, which gave Harry just enough time to recover from his mid-week escapade in the US, the journey so short he wasn’t even sure he was jet lagged at all - which was about the only positive trait of that pointless trip.

It gave Harry all the time to get home and make his house ready to host Eggsy for a day, since he had no doubts about whether his boy would manage or not to pass the test.

Harry knew better than to let himself get in so deep without needing Merlin’s pointed glares whenever one of them mentioned Eggsy, but at the same time Harry knew it was too late to start having qualms about it.

Harry wanted Eggsy to succeed. He wanted it fiercely and not just so he could repay his debt to Lee Unwin, because he felt like he had done that already simply by showing Eggsy the way to the betterment of himself and it was now up to him to decide what to do with that knowledge.

No, Harry wanted Eggsy to succeed for utterly, completely selfish reasons - namely, he wanted the two of them to be equals, so they could see to turning all their flirting into something more. A relationship, maybe, although Harry didn’t dare voice that thought even in his own head. After all, why would a vibrant young man like Eggsy want to be with Harry for more than a tumble under the sheets?

But be as it may, Harry was ready to take what he could get and hold tight onto it, for as long as he would be allowed to do so, no matter how selfish it was. He was ready to let go of Eggsy when he would have to, but he also wished to keep some of the happiness the boy exuded for himself - even if it ended up being just a tiny memory in the husk of his heart.

* * *

If one thing could be said about the day Eggsy was having, it was that it sorta sucked. What started out as an almost relaxing field test turned into a different set of trials and a huge headache. Originally Charlie, Roxy and Eggsy were to seduce a target in a nightclub - easy enough for a charming young man like Eggsy - but really they should have known things were never that simple with Kingsman.

Within ten minutes of entering the club and meeting their target, they were all knocked out by a sinister looking man with a crooked smile and a vengeance. The man was a Kingsman agent of course, but at the time and under the drug they’d been given (of course it was of the power blocking variety) Eggsy thought him a real danger. Well, that and being strapped to a set of train tracks typically sent a certain emotion one’s way. The ‘get me the fuck out of here’ one, and as he pull at those ropes to no avail he saw his end.

But even with his death in sight as the train pump away at its horn he knew what he had to do. There was no way he’d ever give up Kingsman or Harry Hart for that matter, and death was his only option. So he closed his eyes and cursed the world one last time as the train went right over him. Only, when he opened his eyes again he hadn’t been sliced to pieces. Instead he was perfectly intact staring up at the man he’d grown to adore.

Harry’s smile was approving and even though Eggsy felt quite annoyed at the events that had just transpired he also felt more than a little happy. It had been some time since he’d seen that smile, and he was beginning to miss it… A short congratulations later and they made their way to Merlin’s office. He of course had been watching it all and was beyond pleased to see Roxy and Eggsy standing side by side.

A lovely bonus for all those involved was seeing Charlie squirm like the worm he was during his train trial. Eggsy probably would have been more peeved at the situation had he not been able to witness the face of utter disgust Arthur wore when addressing his former candidate… And really, he knew he shouldn’t laugh either, but there was something so satisfying about watching Charlie flop and whine like the little baby he was.

“Excellent job you two.” Merlin nodded, his smile sincere as he shifted his gaze to Percival and Harry for a moment; being sure to send his unspoken message to Harry in particular with a raise of his brow. That look was saying one thing and one thing only; that Harry should behave. “Now, as tradition allows… you have twenty-four hours to spend with each other.”

Eggsy blinked a few times in shock, but hid it well enough… or at least Merlin had the decency not to appear as if he’d noticed. He swallowed down the instantaneous prickle he felt at the thought of actually having a moment alone to Harry. No, not a just moment, like all of the others before. Not nearly enough time to say but a few words… No this time, they had twenty-four hours, and as the thought teased his mind so did a smile spread almost bashfully on his face.

 _That_ look was however noticed by Merlin, and this time he wasn’t so kind as to leave his face blank. He cleared his throat then looked to Harry once more, warning yet again that, just because Eggsy was close to being one of them, it didn’t mean he was. And if he were to fall flat at the end of this, it would only end in tears. But the look Harry returned was one of utter understanding, so instead of sending another silent message he nodded once then continued speaking.

“Eggsy, you should know your father made it this far.” he smiled softly at the boy as he remember that day like it had only just happened… The memory so fresh in his mind he could sometimes still smell the death in the air. And then came his next warning; this time addressed to both Roxy and Eggsy. “And you both should know that from this point on, there are no safety nets.”

When Merlin said that they exchanged a glance and both nodded in understanding. Eggsy couldn’t help but wonder what they considered safety nets given the fact that someone died the first day of basic training… but better to worry about that later. Not with the promise of more than a few fleeting seconds with Harry so close he could almost taste it.

Merlin stood, offering proud smiles to all parties present as he nod and dismiss them all. Roxy and Percival went one direction after their brief goodbyes ,while Harry and Eggsy went the other making their way towards the bullet train.

The air was quiet around them - not out of discomfort or awkwardness, but such comfort and intimacy that words didn’t even need to be spoken to be heard. It was an odd feeling to be so close to someone you hardly knew… but even though Eggsy didn’t know every detail about Harry or his life, he knew something more about him. A part of him that was only for Eggsy, and that made their connection more powerful than anything else he’d felt before.

He could think about these things right now though with the way Harry was looking at him from across the train car. Harry had the smallest smirk peeking the corners of his lips, and honestly it was taking every bit of Eggsy’s control not to jump on him then and there.

“What’s that look for?” he asked tilting his head to the side slowly, sliding his gaze up Harry’s crossed legs and chest, ending on that smile still set in place perfectly.

“I’m just very proud of you. A very well done job. I couldn’t have chosen better last words myself,” Harry said honestly, unable to resist from teasing the young man at least a bit.

The next twenty-four hours were going to be a delight. He would let Eggsy into his home, he would tell him all about his life if he wanted, all his little secrets would be on display… except the one that would give away the last test.

When Lee had arrived to this point, Harry had convinced him to trade his time with him with a full day back to his family. In retrospect, that was the best decision of Harry’s life. He would have hated himself even more if the man had died without seeing his wife and child again - if a child had lost his father without getting to see him one last time, only keeping him as a faded memory from his infancy.

Now, that very child was sitting across from Harry with a smug smirk on his oh so kissable lips, and Harry couldn’t do anything but admire how that boy had grown into such a fine young man.

And Harry would have to resist temptation for a full day. It was going to be the best and worst twenty-four hours of Harry’s life. A glimpse into how things could be after Eggsy becomes a full fledged Kingsman.

The dinner date Harry had offered him all those months ago, at the time just one more way to tease the promising young man he had just met, was almost within their reach.

They would spend time together, learning each other’s rhythms and spaces, how they fit together, how they could be so much more than just mentor and protégé if only the last trials went well.

Harry would make Eggsy a suit, just like his favourite one, he decided. He would take him to the shop a bit before their time together was up, to have him fitted, and he would present it to Eggsy as a gift once he got Knighted. An élite agent deserved only the best, after all.

Harry could barely contain himself, his excitement carefully tucked away and hidden under his usual casual mask, only betrayed by the fondness in his eyes and the softening smile on his face.

“I ain’t as good at all this as you is.” Eggsy joked back, but Harry really was right. Screaming ‘fuck you’ to the stranger who was just about to kill you wasn’t his most eloquent of moments, but at least he didn’t burn in a fiery explosion of disappointment like Charlie did… metaphorically, of course. And now that Eggsy had passed the test, he’d finally get a chance to get to know the real Harry Hart.

The bullet train wasn’t as excruciatingly slow as it seemed most days, actually the trip seemed to move along faster than any other time he’d been on it. And before he knew it they were chatting effortlessly away in a cab toward Harry’s flat. That was just one (among many) things he admired about their relationship.

Relationship… that was a word that made Eggsy nervous. The idea of a relationship with the man before was almost absurd, but now it actually seemed possible. And having something so sweet within his grasp was almost too much for a boy used to disappointments to handle. Saying he was nervous at the possibilities wasn’t exactly accurate. It was more like he was down in that tunnel again, strapped to a set of train tracks - only this time it wasn’t a test, and the train was Harry.

But if his time with the Kingsman had taught him anything thus far it was how to hide those nerves, or at least a little bit. To be honest though, Eggsy wasn’t sure if he was more nervous about tonight or what came after it, and more importantly if they’d ever have a chance to see just how good they could be together.

Eggsy smiled to Harry, their shoulders brushing lightly as they sat side by side in the car. The pull of the cab slid to a halt as he shot his eyes out the window, scanning the sparse stairs leading to the doorway that could only be Harry’s.

Harry climbed out of the cab, holding the door open for Eggsy to follow, and waved a hand towards Stanhope Mews with a bit of a flourish, the same smile from earlier on back on his face.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” he said, an amused lilt to his voice.

He had never really considered his house as anything more than that, really. It was a place where he could gather his belongings and his memories, and where he could recover from injuries and hide from the world, but that was about it. It wasn’t home in the way that many people had. It wasn’t more important to Harry than any other Kingsman safe house, really.

The only things that held any sentimental value in there were his butterfly collection and Mr Pickle, really. Even the newspaper clippings he had collected over the years were almost irrelevant to him, just a recording of his successes that he didn’t really need, but that he still gathered because he was a hoarder at heart.

It was unfortunate that he couldn’t share any of that with Eggsy yet, he thought as they walked along the cobbled street up to his front door, but there were so many other things they could talk about that Harry was looking forward to. In those twenty-four hours, his house was sure to finally feel like a home with his darling boy in it.

Harry opened the door and took a step back, gesturing for Eggsy to get inside first - always the gentleman.

Eggsy smiled placing his hands into his tracksuit pockets as he step through the door. The place looked exactly how Eggsy would have imagined. Classy, dignified and extremely elegant. He turned around aiming that cheeky smile at Harry this time as he step backwards pointing at the walls he passed.

“I like this one.” He gestured towards a painting of a dog, for a moment toying with the idea that Harry painted it himself. “Very nice.”

He turned again on his heels walking into the dining room, tossing his gaze very obviously towards the bar in the corner.

Harry chuckled and shook his head fondly at the boy. “Actually, most of the art is horrid. I’m well aware of that. It came with the house,” he admitted, eyeing the still life paintings hanging on the walls depicting the spoils of centuries old hunting trips. “But some of the medals are family heirlooms, so there’s that.”

He took his coat off and hung it by the door, then lead Eggsy towards the living room, ignoring the bar for now. There would be time for that.

“Make yourself at home,” he told Eggsy, feeling a little thrill at how much he meant the words. This might become Eggsy’s home, too, one day not too far away, if only everything would go smoothly.

Eggsy rolled his eyes playfully stepping behind him closely, enjoying the view in full. His eyes falling across the room they entered, admiring the leather furniture and fireplace in the center. The room was dim and ambient, so much so he couldn’t help the sweet smile that spread.

He pulled his bottom lip in for a moment before stepping to the couch and sitting down comfortably, his head resting to the cool leather. “Care t’join me?” he nearly purred, pursing his lips playfully as he pat the space besides him.

It took a lot of Harry’s restraint to keep him from joining the boy right away. More than that, it took a lot of Harry’s restraint to keep him from just pinning the boy down and kissing him silly. The soft, inviting look on his face, his enticing smile, the low tone of his voice - Eggsy was putting his NLP training to full use, and doing a great job of it, too.

But Harry had been seduced by the best spies in the world, and although none of them could hold a candle to Eggsy, he still found himself having a hard time resisting the siren call of those shining eyes and pink lips.

To distract himself - and to give Eggsy a taste of his own medicine, Harry hummed thoughtfully and turned on his heels, throwing a smirk over his shoulder as he headed for the stairs.

“Actually, I think that before doing that I’ll go and… slip into something more comfortable,” he said, before disappearing up the steps.

He was only going to trade his shoes for slippers and take his jacket off, but Eggsy didn’t need to know that just yet. Let him sit on whatever mental image _that_ gave him for a while.

And the mental image it it evoked was nothing short of scandalous. Harry didn’t leave him long to fantasise though but in the short time he had, he’d pictured a considerably less amount of clothing that what Harry returned in.

Eggsy couldn’t even hide the disappointment from his face as he pursed his lips and scanned Harry in full, taking every inch in quite obviously might he add. “Not gonna lie, I sorta had somethin’ else in mind when ya said comfortable.”

Considering he was still in a suit and all, minus the jacket. But those pants hugged him in all the right ways, and that leather weapon holster set off a whole new set of chills... so it’s not like he really minded all that much.

Harry almost laughed at the face Eggsy pulled, but he couldn’t keep himself from teasing the boy a bit more.

“I suppose you’re right, but I never feel quite as comfortable without a suit on anymore. That’s what you get for spending your whole life as a Kingsman. But more than that, I always feel... naked without at least one weapon on me,” he said, letting his thumbs run under the leather of his shoulder holster, a smirk playing on his lips as he adjusted the straps over his arms.

He knew he cut a striking figure in just shirt sleeves, with the holster highlighting his shoulders. He had actually used that very same technique to seduce an MI6 agent years prior, so he could get some vital documents and bring them back to Merlin.

Now, it was sure to at the very least impress Eggsy, the young man’s eyes trained on him like an hawk’s.

He ran that azure gaze up him once more long and hard drinking the view up like a glass of water. Those holster straps evoked a different kind of emotion though. One of pure unabashed lust.

Eggsy stood slowly, using both hands to press up from the leather couch. He strolled leisurely towards Harry, eyes transfixed and the smallest smile peaking the corners. He walked right up to him, standing less than a foot from his face.

“You got somethin’ hidden up them sleeves that I don’t know bout?” He asked raising a brow eyes ending on Harry’s lips pointedly.

“Other than my Kingsman issued watch? I do not,” Harry said, his lips still quirked in amusement. He could see the effect he had on Eggsy, a discreet ego boost for a man his age, but as much as he enjoyed that Harry was also aware of how much of a bad idea it would be to give into his own desires.

Instead, he pulls back and strolls casually to the kitchen, as if his heart hadn’t picked up at Eggsy’s proximity.

“I’d say dinner is in order. You didn’t have time to eat before the latest trial - on purpose, you should know, to make the drugs act faster - and the best way to let them wear off completely is to eat. I’d wager you’re still feeling a little off, aren’t you?” he asked as he fished several takeaway menus from a drawer. “Now, I’m not much in the terms of cooking, but I do know the best places in town.” He turned around to face Eggsy from the open archway that lead to his kitchen, the boy now standing in his dining room, and Harry took it a step further by leaning back against his counter and relaxing his posture while holding the menus up like a hand of poker cards. “What are you in the mood for?” he asked, his tone probably a tad too sultry for his own good.

Eggsy crossed his arms leaning into the frame of the door. He eyed the kitchen and the relaxed posture presented before him. A forced “hmm” pressed behind his closed mouth as he once again eyed Harry like he were the meal.

But the flirting had been pretty heavy up until then, and for now at least he’d tone it down. “How’s about a surprise?”

Okay, not actually any better he realised as he turned with a smirk, but part of the fun was seeing Harry squirm at his advances and he never was one to give up easily. However, if he was going to do this all night, he would definitely need a drink and with that turned sharply to face the bar.

“You’re not even going to dictate a nationality to our food? Fine, then Thai it is,” Harry said with nonchalance, even though he was internally shaking with a desire to just hold Eggsy close and just give him the surprise he had asked for.

After placing a phone order of green beef curry, Pad Thai noodles, mango chicken, shrimp skewers, steamed dumplings and rice pudding, Harry returned to the dining room, where he found Eggsy already pouring himself a drink.

“Are you quite sure you should be having scotch after being dosed with rohypnol?” he asked, tilting his head to the side as he observed the young man. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t admiring the line of his shoulders and arms, although… “Here, let me take that for you,” he said, approaching Eggsy and slowly peeling the tracksuit jacket off of him, then pulling his snapback off his head. “I did say you should make yourself comfortable,” he said, very pleased with the unveiling of a tight fitting polo shirt, wrapped tight around the boy’s torso like a second skin.

Bless the honeypot trial, and the very obvious way Eggsy had dressed in flashy colours to attract attention but also in well fitting clothes to make sure said attention remained where it was supposed to be.

Clinging to every curve of his muscled back, to the dip of his spine and the roundness of his shoulders, his biceps bulging where the short sleeves sat tight around them…

 _Bollocks_.

Harry decided to go and hang Eggsy’s clothes besides his coat, before he did something rash and completely irrational.

But before he could make it but three feet, Eggsy pivoted sliding his hand between the coarse yet somehow tender hand that hang loosely at Harry’s side.

It was a bold move, and he knew that but Eggsy was not interested in playing games anymore; unless said games had to do with those leather straps that clung tightly to Harry’s chest…

He felt Harry stop in place, but he didn’t turn to face him right away. It was as almost as if he were deciding what to do next, weighing his options and calculating the risk… But no part of the way Harry’s fingers slid to place against him signaled he didn’t want it, so Eggsy pulled slightly at the hand, running the pad of his thumb up the length of his palm.

A shiver ran up Harry’s spine at the gesture, something so tender and innocent but at the same time filled with promise. Harry hadn’t felt something quite like that in a very long time. It was amazing how the mere suggestion of Eggsy’s fingers running on his skin seemed to set Harry on fire, making heat and desire coil in his gut.

What he’d give to feel those hands gripping his arms, holding onto his shoulders, fingers trailing down his chest and ever lower…

Harry needed a whole five seconds to breathe in and then out again, so he could resist the urge of leaning back against Eggsy or, worse, turn around and wrap him in his arms, pull him close and just claim his mouth with his own, back him up against the dining table and...

With a heavy sigh, Harry pushed forward and went to hang Eggsy’s clothes, without looking back.

As usual it wasn’t exactly the reaction Eggsy would have hoped for, but it did have a certain ring to it, and the taste left in his mouth was sweet. He watched Harry step away with a hair of determination, and the way he oh so obviously avoided Eggsy's gaze.

Eggsy had to admit that there was something exponentially sexier about having to work so hard on something he wanted so badly. And believe when I say he wanted Harry something fierce. He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes trying to decide if this was one of those moments he should stand down to, or buckle the fuck up for.

He didn’t have to think long to know his answer, and opened his mouth the words leaving faster than he could think them. “You don’t have t’do that.”

Harry smoothed the creases in Eggsy’s jacket, looking for an excuse not to turn around and face the boy, but he still couldn’t help the small smile creeping its way on his lips as he asked, “Do what?”

Was he so transparent that his desire for Eggsy shined through even when he did his best to hide it?

Oh, who was he trying to fool. Everyone could see that. The only reason Arthur hadn’t was because the man was too homophobic for his own good, and his own prejudice transcended hatred straight into pretending the issue didn’t exist in the first place.

Eggsy couldn’t help but chuckle at that one, for it was painfully obvious. But this time, like all others he took the bait, taking a slow deliberate step in Harry’s direction. Eggsy could see the way his head perked up slightly as he approach from behind, could almost feel his nervous seeping off as sweetly as the smell of his skin did, and that scent was intoxicating.

“Pretty sure you know.” he replied in a throaty whisper from his perch just a few feet from Harry. He ran his hand through that golden crown of hair, spreading his fingers delicately as he take another passive step Harry’s direction.

Harry turned around at those words, taking in the textbook way Eggsy put himself on display, and yet unable not to admire him. He knew he wasn’t just affected because of his feelings for Eggsy; no, he was under no illusion that, given the right circumstances, the boy would have had him wrapped around his finger regardless of whether they had met before or not.

Eggsy was going to be a force to be reckoned with once he was a full fledged agent, and Harry would bet his collection of butterflies that the boy would become Kingsman’s best agent. With time, his accomplishments may very well surpass Harry’s own - no, they were sure to.

“I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about,” Harry said, maintaining his casual tone, even as his eyes raked over Eggsy’s face. He couldn’t help but admire the way his hair now looked artfully tousled, making him want to smooth it back into place.

Eggsy took another step toward him, lightly tracing the tips of his fingers along the edge of the table that separate them. He pulled in a deep breath, and upon his exhale he tilted his chin ever so slightly in Harry’s direction, being sure to bat those puppy dog eyes at least a few times.

“Oh, you don’t?” he asked innocently, drawing out his words slightly as he pulled his brows up in feigned shock. Each small step bringing him closer, and closer to the man he almost desperately needed to feel against his flesh; each moment almost burning into him with desire.

That feeling of desire was almost too much for him to handle. So much so that he decided then and there that this would be it. That this would be the last time he put himself on display like a trophy to be won… well, probably.

But the truth was as much as he loved their banter and gratuitous flirting, Eggsy was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be able to handle much more of it. And there was no guarantee that, if Harry didn’t step away this time, he wouldn’t grab him and show him just how ardently he felt.

Harry could only chuckle at that, because, really, it should be ridiculous how obvious Eggsy was being. And yet, it really wasn’t. It only made him more kissable in Harry’s depraved old mind.

“You may want to revise your technique, my dear boy. I would suggest picking up your NLP manual, at the paragraph about subtlety,” he said with a smirk, taking a step towards him… only to walk past Eggsy, heading back to the bar himself.

He had wanted to wait until they had food in their stomachs before starting to imbibe alcohol, but unfortunately Harry found that it would need the liquid strength if he wanted to make it through the evening without snogging his boy silly.

“Nah…” he purred out softly, turning to face Harry’s back once more. This game was one they’d played many times now, yet somehow it didn’t get old. In fact, quite the opposite and that determined nature of his was only illuminated by Harry’s forced resistance. “I ain’t so good at subtle.”

This time he didn’t move forward, instead he leaned back as leisurely as he could manage to the cool surface of the table, not quite sitting but not exactly standing anymore either. He slid his gaze to Harry’s hands which slid effortlessly across the bar, assembling some drink Eggsy didn’t care to pay attention to.

“Bein direct though,” he added, locking eyes with Harry once more as he pressed further into his lean. “That ain’t failed me once.”

Harry huffed and shook his head fondly. “That’s exactly why I suggest revising. Being blunt can work most of the time, of course it can, but sometimes a subject might require a gentler approach. Something less... overt.”

He mixed their drinks with expert hands, pouring the martinis from the shaker into two glasses, and then turned to hand Eggsy one… only to find him leaning back on the table, putting himself perfectly on display, in a way that made him look positively edible.

“This show of yours, for example. This is a very good use of subtlety.” He paused, then smiled. “Or it would be, if you hadn’t already made your intentions clear,” he amended, stepping up to Eggsy and pressing one of the glasses in his hand, almost close enough that he might as well be standing between his knees.

He raised his drink and clinked it against Eggsy’s, gently, before saying, “To one of the most promising recruits of the past decade.” Merlin’s words, not his, but Eggsy didn’t need to know that.

“Cheers.” Eggsy smiled up at him, choosing to ignore yet another mention at his forthright attempts. He pulled the cool glass to his lips not breaking Harry’s gaze once, letting the view before him pour over him like the summer sun. That little bit of alcohol was all he needed, the last little push, and by the time he slid the glass from his lips he’d finally made up his mind.

It was now or never.

Eggsy sat the glass to the side then stood in one fluid motion, his chest pressed lightly to Harry’s. For complaining so much about Eggsy’s methods, Harry sure didn’t seem to mind using them himself, and that realisation paired with the soft cascade of breath Eggsy now felt teasing his neck… well, let’s just say it was enough to send his hands to either side of Harry’s face. And before he even realised what he’d done, he’d pressed into him so fervidly it was a wonder they were even standing anymore.

As ridiculous as the phrase had always seemed to him, the world _did_ seem to slow down and narrow to that one point of contact between them. Harry had never felt such a surge of emotion at just one kiss, and yet there he was, scrambling to put down the drink he had only gotten a sip off in favour of drinking in his Eggsy, the way he all but molded back against him as their lips pressed together feverishly.

Harry should have known better than to give in like that, but he had been denying himself what he wanted for so long - and now, finally, there it was, offering itself so openly to him. How could any man resist?

He let his hand reach up to cup the back of Eggsy’s head, his fingers carding through the boy’s hair while he splayed his other hand between Eggsy’s shoulder blades, pulling him closer by those two points of contact, until they could have easily disappeared one inside the other.

That was the reaction Eggsy had been waiting for. Anything that would show him whatever they had was more than just a few clever words and some stolen glances. This was exactly what he’d been wanting to do for months now, and now that he had it, he wasn’t about to let it go.

Eggsy pushed into the sturdy embrace around him, sinking into it like sand as he pressed his chest deeper into Harry. Eggsy’s other hand dropping to the small of his back, pulling him closer as if he’d never tasted anything so sweet; the truth was, he hadn’t. He let the tip of his tongue slide effortlessly into Harry’s mouth, teasing the man only as much as he himself could handle.

Each kiss was soft and tender at first, but as the seconds trickled on so grew his appetite, and with that insatiable hunger came a fervid desire. A desire he no longer had any means of controlling, and judging by how intently they pushed and pulled at each other Harry felt it too.

It was maddening, the way Eggsy’s soft lips gave under the insistent press of his own, the way his hot mouth seemed to retreat and then push back, like the waves of the ocean slowly, inexorably pulling an imprudent swimmer further and further away from the coast.

Harry felt adrift, and every languid press of Eggsy’s seeking tongue only served to exacerbate the sensation, making him feel like he was lost, never to be found again.

And, truth be told, he didn’t want to be. He wanted to stay where he was forever, basking in the warm glow of Eggsy’s light, both from his personality and from his mind, by now a permanent fixture in Harry’s perception. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Harry tilted his head and pressed his tongue deeper inside Eggsy’s mouth, trying to explore more of the space he was claiming as his own, determined to leave his mark on the young man as he sucked on his bottom lip, sinking his teeth in the supple flesh, groaning as their bodies rocked minutely together - his arousal having gone from simmering, like it was his default around his boy, to full on display, pressed as closely as they were.

Which only made Eggsy’s near fanatical grasp tighter, and that much more fervent. He sunk the tips of his fingers into fine lines down Harry’s back, the warmth of his skin felt just barely between the soft fabric of his shirt. He leaned up and into him, harder than before; slipping the length of his arm around the back of Harry’s neck - which was only done so by reaching to the very tips of his toes.

He turned Harry around, pressing him to the space he recently sat. And with that Eggsy placed himself almost elegantly between Harry’s thighs, pressing into him with every inch of his body he could; but somehow it still wasn’t close enough.

Harry let out a small sound of surprise at the sudden swap in places - nothing as undignified as a gasp, thank you very much - and he held onto Eggsy’s strong shoulders for dear life as he felt the floor shift under his feet. But, oh, if the new position didn’t open up many new scenarios in Harry’s mind… as did the way Eggsy’s strong fingers dug in his muscles, the way he didn’t let their height difference discourage him, the determination and focus in his kisses… Harry was far too gone for his own good.

He kept one hand in Eggsy’s soft hair, tilting his head to deepen the kiss once more, but this time he dared more, going as far as to suck on Eggsy’s tongue, drawing it in his own mouth hungrily and scraping his teeth over the hot muscle. He had more than one trick still up his sleeve, for an old dog, and he couldn’t wait to show them all to Eggsy.

As if Eggsy’s yearning wasn’t obvious enough, it was only exacerbated by the way Harry kissed him now. The almost magnetic pull at their hips and the rapturous tug at each others clothing... Harry held Eggsy so tenderly, yet somehow each time their lips pressed together it was full of an almost primal voracity; as if they couldn’t get enough of each other.

Eggsy pushed deeper into the hands that held on so tightly, pulling his entangled fingers from the mess of Harry’s ruffled shirt and into his nearly perfect head of hair. With a slight pull he slid Harry’s lips from his own by a small tuft of hair he held firmly between his knuckles. This was the first time they’d parted since their inevitable joining only moments before, and immediately at the absence he needed to feel him again - this time almost desperately.

He pushed Harry forward, leading with the light pull of his hand still gripping lightly in his hair, with lips following closely behind. Before Harry was even pressed to the cold wooden table, Eggsy was on him kissing him again as if they were one, tugging at the tie still securely locked in place.

This time, Harry’s gasp was undeniable. Between the lips devouring his own, the hand pulling at his sensitive scalp, and the way Eggsy had effectively pinned him against his own dining table, Harry was all but gone.

Gone for this young man he had fallen for.

Gone in a surge of passion and desire so fierce, he was fairly sure he was going to die from it.

Gone at the way Eggsy’s touch left a fiery trial everywhere on his body, even through his clothes.

Harry’s knees closed to slip between Eggsy’s, and to keep himself from just outright wrapping his legs around the boy’s hips to pull him closer, to invite him to just take whatever he wanted, because Harry was his, without reserves, in any way Eggsy might ever want him - for as long as he might want him.

If Eggsy had anything to say about it, he’d never spend another second away from the man. Their attachment to each other was undeniably strong, and at this point there was no use in pretending they weren’t nearly perfect matches for each other, or that this hadn’t been the most connected Eggsy ever felt to someone else.

To say he’d not been with other men or women would have been silly, but this was something else entirely. It was as if he were falling endlessly through the air, but he was never afraid of hitting the ground. Somehow he knew he never would - never could - if Harry were there to catch him.

Now as he fell deeper into the man he sat atop so effortlessly it was hard to tell where one man began and the other ended. He felt Harry very nearly squirming beneath his grasp, and each passion filled quiver offered a deeper sense of satisfaction that he was the one to evoke such emotion.

He took it upon himself to push harder into the man below him with his hips. Pressing just firmly enough to send out his own set of soft airy moans from his mouth, the echo resting between them in a cloud of near ecstasy. He leaned up, pulling Harry by the tie as he straddle him properly. He slid his mouth to Harry’s ear, pulling his earlobe in for a soft bite before sending his lips in a solid row to his nearly visible collarbone.

Eggsy could feel the almost aching burning building like a kettle about to scream its due as he pulled at the knot freeing the collar of his shirt from the constricting chain of his tie.

Harry was breathless with want, mindless with it. He knew he should probably tell Eggsy to stop, should remind him of their roles in each other’s life - the roles they were supposed to adhere to until _after_ Eggsy was proclaimed to be a KIngsman agent - but all Harry could do was moan at the feeling of Eggsy’s teeth closing gently over his skin, stroke his hands down Eggsy’s sculpted back and to his waist to hold him close, rock his hips up against Eggsy’s now that his arousal had turned into a very sizeable erection the boy was bound to feel against himself.

Panting for air, Harry craned his head to the side so he could latch onto Eggsy’s neck, biting into the firm flesh and teasing a mark on that golden skin, the boy’s name falling from his lips in a sigh even as he felt Eggsy’s hands starting to undress him, and he really should tell him to stop… but he was powerless to do so, his hands spanning the width of the small of Eggsy’s back effortlessly as he pulled him closer and thrust up against him once more.

Each impassioned grind and bite set off a row of fireworks low in Eggsy’s stomach, the tenacious way in which Harry pulled at his hips; up and into him so much that Eggsy couldn’t deny what he felt so firmly between his legs. The explosions causing a chain reaction of nearly unquenchable thirst… like a dehydrated man pleading for just one ounce of fresh water, Eggsy was a beggar, and Harry the full glass.

Eggsy had quite frankly never wanted anything so badly as he wanted Harry, and as he felt the eager way Harry nipped at his lips and neck he knew he’d found a piece of paradise. A piece only for him to taste, and god damn was he hungry.

The more Eggsy’s frustration grew evident, the more Harry couldn’t help but pull the boy closer, his hands moving down to cup his arse so he could keep him exactly where he wanted him. He growled against the heated skin of his neck, mouthing at the spot where it pulled taut on Eggsy’s sculpted jawline, all the while rolling his hips into Eggsy’s, thrilled by the matching hardness he felt there.

Harry weighed his options. Stopping was still on the table, but seeing how he himself was on a table, weighing Eggsy’s plush bottom in his hands - no.

What Harry wanted to do was most certainly not what he should have done - namely, he wanted to lift Eggsy off the table and pin him to the nearest wall, or alternatively he wanted to flip them over again, so he could spread his beautiful boy on his mahogany table and just cover him in marks that proved he was his and no one else’s.

The possibilities were so endless, so infinite, that Harry was at a loss. But just as he pulled back with a whisper of the younger man’s name on his lips, the shrill sound of his doorbell ringing ripped him from the pleasantly foggy depths of his mind.

Harry found he was panting, his hair disheveled and his clothes ruffled, and he looked up at the boy straddling him for a long moment. “That’d be our food,” he said breathlessly.

Eggsy groaned in dissatisfaction of being so close to finally tasting the true depths of Harry’s soul, the space that was only for him, and only theirs. He tossed his gaze to the door in defiance, cursing the delivery person under his breath as he hover in place above Harry.

He very nearly would have stood still stop that man, refusing to budge like mountains; because Eggsy waited for so bloody long for this, and feared that once they parted Harry would see the error of his ways. And that was just something Eggsy couldn’t let happen. Like the buzz from a drug, Eggsy felt Harry coursing through his every molecule, and even though his lips weren’t still firmly pressed to his, he could still taste them as if they were.

Swallowing, Harry reached to cup Eggsy’s face with one hand, stroking the young man’s cheek with his thumb and giving him a soft smile, before leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

Eggsy lingered there a moment, holding the hand affectionately to his cheek and chin, trying his best to memorise every second of this. Every second of Harry. He smiled lightly, his brows softer than air as he pressed one more kiss to Harry’s lips like an addict desperate for his next score. In truth, he was addicted and at this point there was no use in pretending he wasn’t uniquivicably, and irreversibly in love with him.

“I’ll be back momentarily,” Harry said when he pulled back, carefully letting Eggsy slide off of him and standing on legs made of jelly, uselessly trying to straighten his clothes as to not present a completely debauched display to the delivery person.

But even though he looked rather presentable on the outside, that grin he sported was anything but innocent, and as he walk to the persistent ringing at the door, Eggsy smiled into his hands in utter bemusement; incapable of understanding just how he got so damn lucky.

Somehow this time, he’d gotten it all.

The door opened and closed without incident, food and money exchanging hands, and if the young boy on the other side noticed anything about Harry’s disheveled state, he had the courtesy of not saying anything. Harry still tipped him generously - just to be sure.

When he returned to the dining room with the styrofoam containers sitting in their plastic bags, Harry hesitated for a moment before going to put the food on the table, on the spot where he had been sitting but a moment prior, and he turned to face Eggsy.

“Would you help me set the table? Just plates and cutlery will suffice,” he asked, nodding towards the cabinets where he kept his more casual dish set. They could talk about proper table etiquette another time, after all. Dinner was never going to be the moment Harry sat Eggsy down with rows upon rows of forks and knives trying to teach him which was to be used when - dinner was to celebrate the success of his trials, and the near closure of his tribulations.

Eggsy’s mind was running a mile a minute, but he nodded in acceptance at the task before him, appearing completely unphased. On the outside he seemed like that usual charming and cheeky boy, his smile set in stone perfectly, but inside he was screaming. The last thing Eggsy wanted was dinner right now - especially after all of _that_ \- like, how does one just set the table after almost fucking its owners brains out on it… very delicately with one of those famous shit eating grins is how.

And with the persistent growling in his stomach serving as a reminder that he may not have wanted food, but he most certainly needed it, was enough to pull his gaze from the handsome face before him. So he followed suit, pulling a set of plates from the cupboard and utensils to match.

“These good?” he asked setting them down at the head of the table, eyeing the spot they were pressed against only moments before.

“Perfect, thank you,” Harry said. He was the kind of gentleman who ignored etiquette when it was possible, but eating from their takeaway boxes was below even him.

Harry went to fetch them glasses and bottled water - alright, fine, he _was_ a snob when it came to that sort of thing - and went to put them on the table, but decided against cloth napkins in favour of paper ones, not too keen on washing away curry stains from them.

Once the table was perfectly set, or as perfectly as the situation warranted, Harry started fishing their food from the plastic bags it came in, but before uncapping the containers he looked at Eggsy and heaved a small sigh.

“Eggsy… what happened just now…” Harry paused, considering his next words carefully, settling for, “it can’t happen again, not until you’re a Kingsman as well,” he said gravely.

He hated it. Hated himself for saying it. He wouldn’t blame Eggsy if he decided to hate him, too.

But it was a necessity. They weren’t above the rules, no matter how much Harry wished for it to be so, and they could get in trouble. Not to mention, the power imbalance in their relationship troubled Harry where their age difference hadn’t. Things would just be better once they knew where they stood, together, side by side as equals.

Harry knew it wouldn’t be long now.

Eggsy let a small sound resembling a laugh, or maybe it was closer to a scoff escaping his lips as he stared down at the plate before him. He pursed his lips, running his tongue over them for a moment, very nearly tasting Harry on them again. He didn’t like it one bit, that much was clear, but even in his defiance he knew Harry had a point, and the last thing he wanted was for Harry to get in trouble because _he_ couldn’t control himself.

But still, it didn’t feel very good to hear those words - especially so soon after they’d finally had the chance to really be together. He sighed leaning into the chair with an almost convincing nod of understanding, a small weak smile spread and his mouth turned into that distant frown he wore so often.

He really didn’t want to go back after this… back to appropriate distances between them, back to fleeting conversations that never lasted long enough... could they even?

No matter if he was capable or not, Harry had been very clear with what was going to happen, and even though it bothered him more than he wanted to let on; he was willing to accept it.

After all, this wasn’t a forever thing… this was just until he made it into Kingsman. Once he passed that final test they could be together. For real.

“Guess I better get that job then, yeah?” Eggsy offered a smile, one a hair more convincing than the last one he sported. He knew he probably shouldn’t have but he reached out and grabbed Harry’s hand one last time. Running his fingers lightly over the calloused pads of his palm… “I’m gonna make it.” he added looking up at him from his seat, his eyes full of hope and determination.

Harry smiled back at Eggsy, hating the sullen expression he saw on his face, but it soon morphed into a more resoluted one and it made Harry proud. He squeezed Eggsy’s hand in return, clinging onto it for a moment, before replying, “I know you are.”

Then, with a whisper of skin against skin, Harry let go and set back to work, dishing their food out. It wouldn’t be easy to wait it out, but it would be worth it. They could have everything, if they were just patient enough.

Yes. Harry was sure, they could have it all.


	6. Chapter 6

There weren’t many things Eggsy could say left him with both a sense of pride and a sense of utter and complete failure. But this… this was one of of those times. Actually, this whole day had been ‘one of those times’ and it only seemed to be getting worse. And now as he punch and kick the interior of Arthur’s cab in protest (which he’d nicked, for the record) he couldn’t help but bask in his disappointments like a cold shower.

His disappointment in Kingsman. His disappointment in Roxy… but mostly his disappointment in himself.

It was almost ironic that Eggsy felt bad for _not_ shooting his dog, but here he was unable to shake the feeling that he’d somehow made the wrong decision. It was one thing to deny shooting your pet, but another to then turn the gun around on the one giving the order. Which was exactly what Eggsy’d done. He wouldn’t have pulled the trigger, of course not, but the anger he’d felt at that request was enough to at least change the direction the gun pointed at. That temptation only grew louder when he thought about how only minutes before Arthur had pointed the very same gun at _him_ , passing it off like a book.

There wasn’t much for him to do but seeth in his failures as the cab remotely piloted away from another would be mistake. So seeth he did, and boy did he do it well.

Eggsy crossed his arms deeply, leaning that distant frown further into place, cursing the heavens as no one but his own sorrow listened. He could have had it all he realised in the moments he phased out the busy streets he no longer needed to focus on. He almost had it all, but now he was left with nothing.

Nothing but pain, and regret anyway.

But there was one thing he did have. Time. Time, time, and more time, but never when it seemed to matter. Time and a light he could hardly even control, especially when it mattered most. Like back in that office for example, or right now even as the cab pull up that long familiar driveway, promising more disappointment and pain once it pulled to a stop.

And just like Eggsy knew it would, that feeling was delivered right on schedule by the person he least wanted to hear it from. It took far more strength than he wanted to admit to not look away when Harry glared down at him from the balcony.

His eyes cold and distant, that mask he wore for targets and enemies alike plastered on display for all to see, but aimed only at him.

Never before in his life had Harry felt such a deep, burning disappointment. Not even when he had been betrayed on the field, or when his powers had failed him, or when his very body had let him down.

Because this - this _failure_ \- it hurt more than anything.

It wasn’t on him, and so the self loathing he usually aimed towards himself had nowhere to go if not outwards, to the very person that had caused such a turmoil inside of him. Even though it wasn’t Eggsy’s fault, either. Not really. Harry should have seen it coming.

Asking a healer to hurt something so innocent, so trusting as their dog was borderline criminal, and he should have known Eggsy would have failed. He should have said “fuck it” to the rules and just told the boy the gun was loaded with blanks, because it _was_ a useless and unnecessarily cruel test, but Harry had been too righteous to do so, too trusting to cheat, too confident in Eggsy’s ability to call the bluff rather than give into panic at the thought of someone hurting his JB… and that very trust was what had turned so bitter in his mouth and so vile in his heart.

He was _furious_ at Eggsy, even though that had been the very same test that had nearly been Harry’s undoing.

But it wasn’t just that. As much as Harry would have loved for Eggsy and himself to be peers, to be fellow Kingsman agents with matching titles, going into missions as equals, he would have been more than happy with just having Eggsy with him on the field, even just as medical backup or as a minor operative. He would have been Eggsy’s superior and that wouldn’t have sat well with him for a while, but if there was one thing he was certain of it was the honesty of Eggsy’s attraction towards him, which meant he wouldn’t be taking advantage of Eggsy despite the difference in rank.

But now, after the stunt Eggsy had pulled with Arthur? Pointing a gun at him, stealing one of their cabs to run away like he had? There was no guarantee Eggsy would even be allowed to _remember_ anything about Kingsman at all, and Harry would have been the one with the duty of wiping his mind of every single one of their interactions; let alone a chance for the boy to remain among them, even just as a nurse in the medical bay.

What had possessed Eggsy to do something so foolish? What had made him do something so rash, so bloody reprehensible, so completely irrational as that?

Harry didn’t know, but he had every intention of finding out. And he wasn’t above reading the young man’s mind to do so.

He watched angrily from his balcony as the black cab, remotely piloted by Merlin’s abilities, parked right in front of his home, catching Eggsy’s defiant gaze through the car’s windshield. Somehow it managed to make him even more furious, and he turned on his heels to trudge down the stairs - because a gentleman does _not_ stomp his feet, thank you very much - just as Eggsy entered through his door.

“You threw away the biggest opportunity of your life over a fucking dog.”

‘You threw away everything we could have had over a fucking dog’, he didn’t say, but he was so vexed that he might as well had thought it loud enough for it to be thrown like a dagger at Eggsy.

“And then you humiliate me by stealing my boss’s car,” he added instead, doing his best not to sound too spiteful.

And even though those hadn’t been his actual words, Eggsy got the message loud and clear as they burned through him, hot with the fire he spoke in. Truthfully, he didn’t have a good answer for Harry… He didn’t have a single answer worth saying really, at least none that didn’t sound like excuses, so instead of offering any of them; he stuffed his hands into his pockets, the defeat weighing him down more and more with each second that pass.

Eggsy knew he fucked up. He knew he messed up bad before he had the cab piloted away from him, steering away from yet another mistake he almost made... He knew he screwed it all the second he flipped that gun on Arthur too, but Eggsy had always been the impulsive type. It was that behavior that got him here in the first place, now that he thought about it. But being impulsive wasn’t always a good thing.

Actually in truth, it usually never was.

To be clear, Eggsy didn’t know why he did any of that shit, as he often didn’t, and even though he was pretty certain Harry would never read his mind, he was prepared for when he would. Because the truth was Eggsy really didn’t know, and if breaking their trust and entering his mind without permission was the what it took for Harry to see that, then so be it.

It was easy for him to wonder if maybe the decisions was based on the love he had for JB. Or perhaps he just didn’t trust himself or his abilities enough to let go and pull that trigger.

It was all too riskey, and Eggsy never was a gambler.

But most likely he couldn’t do it because he felt it was going back on everything he was, and maybe that’s what Harry would see if he looked. But could anyone really blame him? His core strength was literally tied to healing… to saving and helping, and even though he knew he’d have to kill many men if he became a Kingsman himself - he also knew those lives weren’t innocent.

To Eggsy, pulling that trigger went against everything he learned these last six months… And no matter how hard he thought about it he couldn’t see what the point was in shooting an innocent dog. And for an organisation full of those claiming to want to save the world it didn’t seem ethical or right… that alone was enough to make him question the morality of the agency, and even though Eggsy had always walked on thin ice in the ethics department, he was having a hard time seeing why that had ever been the case.

Since Kingsman he’d learned the value in decision making and the grace in it too… he even tried his best to follow it, but this was one decision he just couldn’t understand, and there was no part of it that was elegant.

At this point he was more disappointed in himself than anything else, but in a way he felt a certain pride in not being able to shoot his dog… That was until he looked into Harry’s eyes again and saw the pain behind them. That usual sparkle was covered in a crescendo of looming disappointment now, and it took all of Eggsy’s composure not to break. But behind that disappointed look was pure unabashed betrayal.

Harry was clearly pissed off at him, and if that glare was any hint at all it was that there was more than one thing that bothered him. But Eggsy was having a hard time not feeling bad about killing JB and that anger began taking root; seeping through him like paint in water.

“And you shot your dog just to get a fucking job?” he finally spat pack, his face pulling about angrily as he scanned the hardened one before him. It was difficult for him to imagine Harry doing that in truth… even now with the face he wore so dominantly.

Eggsy could picture him killing any man or woman alike if the job called for it - but a dog? And not any dog, but _his_ dog? That he couldn’t picture at all.

How could Harry have done that?

And least of all how could Harry have expected that he could?

He stood there at the doorway as Harry pressed down the stairs further, his eyes still cutting him deeper than any gaze he’d felt prior; that affectionate stare he was almost addicted to was eclipsed completely by one that didn’t seem to like Eggsy at all. That look hurt more than the tone Harry took, but Eggsy stood by his decision and so his face was impenetrable.

“Yes, I did,” Harry said coldly in the face of Eggsy’s defiance, his own expression turning almost mocking as he said the words. He was a Kingsman, of _bloody_ course he had shot his dog. And there wasn’t a day in his life he didn’t remember that moment of utter panic and hurt when he had thought he would have to decide between his beloved dog and the job that was perfect for him - unable to even read Arthur’s mind with how scared he had been by the prospect. What kind of man was he, if he could kill his dog for a _job_?

He didn’t blame Eggsy. He couldn’t, not really, not when he remembered feeling the same exact emotions he was now, clear as day, thirty years prior. Or, rather, he didn’t blame him for his feelings, but he did blame him for failing to see what would actually happen. For not trusting Kingsman, for not trusting _him_.

Harry headed to the downstairs loo, the door that had been firmly closed during Eggsy’s twenty-four hours long visit, and pushed it open angrily as he hissed back, “And Mr Pickle here reminds me of that every time I take a shit!”

In the tiny bathroom, mounted on a wooden support hanging from the wall, a golden plaque with his name carved in it, Harry revealed his beloved Mr Pickle, companion of months of training and years of adventures, now dead and stuffed both as a reminder and as a memento mori.

He turned to assess Eggsy’s reaction, and he would have laughed at the shock on the boy’s face if he weren’t still seething with fury.

It was quite the surprise for Eggsy to see that he had in fact shot his dog, Mr. Pickle, judging by the golden plaque shining back at him. But not only did he kill Mr. Pickle, he fucking stuffed him and then proceeded to put him on the wall… which to be clear was one of the strangest things Eggsy had seen.

Eggsy shot his eyes to Harry, disgust cascading his otherwise defeated face. “You shot your dog and had it stuffed?” His voice was challenging and he knew even before he spoke his next words that they were far too loud. “You fucking freak.”

He had no idea where to start or what to say but that is what came out, and judging my Harry’s reaction he wasn’t far off the mark.

Seeing such clear disgust on Eggsy’s face cut deep, deeper than Harry would have liked. He reprimanded himself for growing so close to the boy, for going so soft for him, that simple words could actually hurt him for the first time in decades.

“No, I shot my dog and then I brought him home and continued to care for him for next eleven years, until he died of pancreatitis!” Harry said, his voice rising despite his attempt at keeping it level.

The confusion on Eggsy’s face wasn’t surprising, and it managed to both irritate Harry and make him want to sag with defeat.

“What?”

“It was a _blank_ , Eggsy. It was a fucking blank.” And I can’t believe you didn’t even consider that, he didn’t say, the confusion on Eggsy’s face clear as day as he looked between Harry and Mr Pickle like the world had turned upside down. Instead, he added, “Remember Amelia?”

“Yeah?” another confused reply slid his lips, ringing ever so slightly with an air of defeat.

“She didn’t _drown_. She works in our tech department in Berlin, she’s fine.” He looked into Eggsy’s eyes, wanting to drive his point home. “Limits must be tested. A Kingsman only condones the risking of a life to save another.”

He stood there a moment, glancing between the stuffed dog and the man he’d grown to admire more than anything - anyone else. Eggsy sort of understood… in the way you understand having to put down an animal that you’d hit with your car, but there was a fine line between understanding and accepting, and right now Eggsy didn’t accept that answer.

“Ah… so my dad saved your life, even though your fuck up cost him his?” Eggsy paused briefly, letting the words burn like acid between them. But even as he continued he wasn’t sure why he said them. “What, you got him stuffed here and all?”

The face Harry made proved his words had done their job, and cut deep life a knife of truth. But the truth was that Eggsy didn’t blame Harry for his father’s death. Not really, but the damage had been done and the words couldn’t be unsaid.

It was a testament to his Kingsman training that Harry didn’t react to those words, despite the way they felt like a slap to the face.

Instead, Harry held Eggsy’s gaze, weighted the righteous fury in his eyes, and said, far more softly than he would have liked, “Can’t you see that everything I’ve done has been about trying to repay him?”

Well, not everything, of course. He didn’t develop feelings of his very own for Eggsy to honour Lee’s memory, that much was certain, and that was definitely not the reason he had kissed him just a few days earlier, even though now it all seemed so far away. If you could really consider what they did just kissing. In reality, they’d been moments from doing so much more than that.

Eggsy’s brows fell even lower than before as those words left Harry’s lips like venom. As if adding insult to injury wasn’t enough, here he was chalking whatever the hell they had up to a debt he felt had to be paid. To Eggsy it was so much more, but clearly it hadn’t been the same for Harry… and that one hurt.

He scoffed lightly, looking away scanning his eyes over the walls, each butterfly mounted and put in place perfectly. A mausoleum surrounding them, but all he could focus on was was that sting he felt deep in the center of his chest. “That’s what this was then, yeah?” he asked pressing his tongue between his teeth, biting harder than he should. He looked to Harry again, raising his brows and shoulders to match in question. “That’s all I am?”

Harry realised his mistake too late. The way his words could be interpreted… shit, he hadn’t thought of that.

“No, Eggsy,” he said, his voice still firm but tinged with something other than the bitter disappointment from earlier. “Of course it wasn’t.” If anything, it should be a given that Lee would never have wanted his son to be with someone twice his age, and he couldn’t begin understand how Eggsy would think that he could seduce him just to honour his father’s memory.

It was like the dog trial all over again, in a way. A misunderstanding, an obvious truth that Eggsy just couldn’t seem to see.

“Well then, what the fuck is it?” He asked shaking his head lightly. He wanted to hear the truth from Harry’s lips at least once. He needed to. Especially if things would go the way he worried they might… him back at home with no memory of the last half year… no memory of Kingsman, no memory of Harry.

That was more terrifying than anything else he’d faced thus far which sounded ridiculous and he knew it. But there was always a part of him that felt incomplete… missing. And that hole was filled whenever Harry was around. He couldn’t imagine going back to a life where that hole still screamed loudly, aching for something it would never have.

Inappropriate, is the word that comes to Harry’s mind at that question. That was what it was, really. Nothing but inappropriate behaviour that he should know better than enforce… but it was to no avail: no matter how many times Harry had told himself that, he could never trump the feelings he had for Eggsy. It was simply beyond his abilities.

“It’s something… foolish. Something I shouldn’t have done. Not until I was sure it wouldn’t end up like this,” Harry admitted, still holding Eggsy’s gaze, the words sour on his tongue.

Reciprocating Eggsy’s… affections had been a mistake, but Harry would never admit it. It was the best thing that had happened to him in years, how could it be a mistake?

“I don’t regret it,” he said after a moment, his voice soft. “I simply regret what it might have been, and what might never be if I can’t fix this.”

Eggsy pressed his lips together tightly, letting those words pour over him like a sad song dancing at his ears; the melody a bittersweet reminder of what he’d lost.

‘Foolish’ was what Harry had said, but ‘mistake’ was what he’d heard. It didn’t matter that Harry’s follow up sentence was to serve as a reminder that it wasn’t - that _Eggsy_ wasn’t - because all he could focus on was that regret he felt building.

The sting of failure, and the thick cloud of fog that grew closer when he spoke. “So you don’t regret it… but you also think you shouldna done it, then?” He shook his head again frowning deeper as he lean into a heel, pulling his arms tight around his chest. “There ain’t a part of this I get, Harry.”

He turned on a heel again facing the back wall for a moment. That sickly feeling sept off him in waves as he chew his lip anxiously. He wanted to understand why Harry felt compelled to tell him their dalliance was foolish, but he just couldn’t.

To him it meant the world… to him it was the farthest thing from foolish. In fact even now as Harry’s eyes burn into him all he wanted was to feel those lips and hands again; sliding up his back, and through his hair… but as the seconds trickle on that possibility seemed further and further away, like a drifter caught at sea.

“I shouldn’t have,” Harry repeated, his voice soft, an edge of sadness to it. He should have been stronger and pushed Eggsy away. “It gave us both the illusion that everything was going perfectly, didn’t it? I took your success for granted, and look at us now.”

He never looked away from Eggsy, even as he felt his mask slip a bit. It wasn’t often that he actually felt his age but right at that moment the years weighted on his shoulders, brought on by the disappointment. Already, Harry was mourning what they had inevitably lost.

“I should have waited. Been stronger than I was - a better man. And for that I’m sorry.”

Eggsy turned around, his face still lowered in defeat, but even in his sadness there was a certain beauty to the curve of his brow and the tremble at his lip when he spoke. “You make it seem like it’s done already…” he paused briefly, sending his eyes over every surface of Harry’s face, as if this might be the last time he’d ever see it. Would it be? “You talk like we’re done.”

“We might as well be if Arthur decides your transgression is past redemption,” Harry said, gravely. “There’s no guarantee that I’ll manage to smooth his feathers back down - you _did_ point a pistol you thought loaded at him, and you _did_ steal his car. Those are grave offences, Eggsy.”

He sighed heavily pulling his fingers to scratch across his forehead, rubbing at his temples. “I know.”

When Eggsy looked back to Harry he realised even more how badly he’d botched this. How badly he’d botched them, and somehow he knew that not even his cheeky smile could get him out of this one. “I know… I don’t know why the fuck I did it Harry. I wish I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

And if one thing could be said without a doubt it was how sorry Eggsy was. “I’m sorry.” He repeated this time with more feeling, and he really hoped Harry would least of all forgive him.

Harry swallowed thickly against the nasty surge of emotion that he felt rising in his throat, trying to keep the tide of it at bay. Sorrow for what they’d lost; affection - _love_ for Eggsy; worry about what would happen; to name just a few.

There was nothing he wanted more than walk up to Eggsy and wrap the boy in his arms, to reassure him that everything would be alright in the end, somehow, that Harry would see to it. He wanted to see him smile again, to promise him that nothing could break them apart… but those would all just be empty words.

“You ain’t got nothin’ t’say?” Eggsy’s voice was quiet and weak when he spoke, yet somehow rang with betrayal. His lip quivering briefly as he open his mouth to speak again - but this time nothing came out. He closed his lips and eyes momentarily trying to escape the fear he felt building.

Eggsy watched those eyes carefully in search of anything that would say the man before him was still his… but, was he though? Was he ever?

Just like Eggsy, Harry opened his mouth to talk, but the words died in his throat. How could he even begin to explain the extent of his feelings, the way his emotions might just complicate things, detail on just how many levels they were probably doomed? He didn’t even know where he would start such a conversation, but just as he was about to at least apologise to Eggsy for his harsh words, his glasses beeped insistently.

Harry sighed and put them back on, turning to look out of the window as he regarded Merlin.

“Harry,” the man’s Scottish brogue came through the comms, “listen to this. Valentine’s at last said something of note.”

He paid careful attention to Valentine’s words, narrowing his eyes as the megalomaniac mentioned a church. Something clicked in Harry’s mind, and he said, “South Glade Mission Church,” as the link dawned on him.

Eggsy didn’t understand the sudden exclamation but he understood enough about Kingsman and how these things worked to know that it was somehow important. Likely another mission calling Harry off somewhere in the middle of... whatever the hell this was.

The idea of Harry leaving right now in such a moment was enough to pull his face into a mess of emotions. He just wanted to grab Harry and scream into his face how fucking sorry he was… he wished his powers were more reliable, wished he just go back and fix this fucking mistake.

But it was still far too unpredictable, just like he was… and now as he stare at the broad shoulders pulled tensely to Harry’s neck, all he felt was trapped.

Trapped underwater with only moments of air left in his lungs.

“Merlin, get the plane ready.” The words were spoken with a determination he didn’t feel, and Harry yanked his glasses off so abruptly he cut off Merlin’s words of assent.

He turned around to face Eggsy - his boy - and take in his desolate expression, but he could do nothing more but sigh and straighten his back with resolution.

Eggsy attempted to apologise yet again, more profusely than the last, but Harry simply interrupted him before his second syllable left his lips. “You just stay right there, I’ll sort this mess out when I get back,” he said, his voice heavy with finalty.

There wasn’t much more Harry could do, not right then, and he did have a situation to sort out. The sooner they knew what Valentine was planning, the sooner they could stop him - the sooner Harry and Eggsy would know if they still had a chance together.

With one last glance at those sad, sad eyes, Harry took his leave from his own bathroom, climbing up the stairs to quickly trade his cardigan for a suit jacket, and moment later he was outside, climbing in the cab Eggsy had ridden there, and allowing Merlin to remotely drive him off to the shop.

Harry would be back soon, and before they knew it he would have convinced Arthur about the importance of healers, and how they couldn’t afford to spare even one such talent.

Yes. He could convince him, for sure.

And then… they could be together.

Finally.


	7. Chapter 7

Things were touch and go for a while.

Pretending to be dead on a pavement in Kentucky with a very real wound to his head wasn’t how Harry would have liked to end his mission, but he supposed it was better than ending it with his brain splattered everywhere by an evil megalomaniac.

Tricking Valentine and his henchwoman into believing he had been killed was easier than Harry would have dared hope; all he had to do was to use his telekinesis to deflect Valentine’s bullet, making it miss its mark - although it was too close and too fast to avoid completely, and it did graze Harry, the burning pain in his temple intense enough he had to grit his teeth against it while his blood soaked the asphalt - but what Harry found hard to do was to make all the people present see a gaping, bloody hole in his head where there was none.

Truth be told, he hadn’t been sure it would work at all: he had never tried to pull an illusion on such a grand scale. Usually he could make people see what he wanted them to - he could make a mark think the documents Harry had stolen were still in their place, for example, and he could deceive people into not remembering his face quite as clearly as they should have, and, of course, he could make people forget about his existence, the same way he had done all those months ago, when he had gone to pick Eggsy up at Holborn Police Station.

But something as specific as he was doing right then, well… it was ambitious, and for a long moment he dreaded being found out. Or that Valentine or Gazelle would want to shoot him again, to finish him even if they couldn’t see through his ruse. And it would have been fitting, too: in front of a church he had just massacred sixty people in, sprawled like Jesus Christ on the cross, he had almost been expecting Gazelle to act as the biblical roman soldier, sliding one of her bladed feet between his ribs to make sure he was gone.

Instead, they had bantered about how shooting someone square in the head did tend to kill them, and Harry had held his breath, manipulating brain waves like putty, making even the armed guards standing back think he was dead. It was probably his most ambitious feat, but it left him drained of energy.

He waited until everyone was gone to breathe again, and then it took him another moment to collect himself. The blood loss, although not as bad as it could have been, was still enough to make him dizzy when he sat up, and once he could stand again he wobbled dangerously for a moment, bringing his hand to his head only to notice the tip of his left ear had been cleanly clipped off by the bullet.

Trying to contact Merlin turned out to be a useless feat. The connection had probably been severed the moment he had been marked as dead, as per Kingsman protocols - just one of the many security measures in place to ensure the agency’s secrecy - most necessary, of course, but also highly annoying given the circumstances.

Harry had to hobble back inside that cursed church just so he could nick a phone and call an ambulance, blaming his head wound on the massacre.

He professed to be just a devout tourist who had looked for a church so he could attend mass, and that he had been lucky enough to escape with just a flesh wound while all hell went loose inside the building. He didn’t even need to use his powers to convince them he couldn’t have been the one to slaughter all those people on his own: even without the blood covering half his face, Harry had always been lucky enough to look the part of the innocuous businessman, and he was fairly sure that even without all the clear signs of a full blown all against all brawl the paramedics wouldn’t have had him arrested.

Of course, the police had to intervene, and Harry was held back in Kentucky for a while. Not against his will exactly, since he did need some medical attention and was rather exhausted. However, he would have preferred to go back to London as soon as possible. He did have to tell Kingsman about Valentine’s plans.

He only managed to send a message to Arthur’s emergency contact from the phone he had stolen, but received no answer. It was bizarre, because even if the message came from a non secure line, it went straight to a Kingsman server only known to élite agents, and most importantly it held vital informations of the world saving variety.

Merlin would surely be able to hack into Valentine’s systems with enough time at his disposal, and before he got to it, the better he could stop his nefarious plan - but he needed to be told about it.

Instead, it wasn’t long before all hell broke loose, _again_. Harry could feel it coming, in the hospital he was held in by the police, still needling him about the South Glade Mission Church massacre.

There was a ripple in the air, a shift in everyone’s perception like there had been at the church, like a prickle of electricity at the edge of Harry’s perception, and he knew what was coming. In a way, Valentine’s testing had been a good thing in the end. It had allowed Harry to know what would happen, and it allowed him to prevent it.

It took all of his energy, but Harry gathered his strengths and created the biggest barrier he could to block out the waves of Valentine’s behaviour altering signal, protecting the minds of as many people as he could manage. He was under no illusion that he could last very long, of course, not with a barrier so big: by his calculations, it ought to cover at least the whole hospital building, protecting the sick and vulnerable from the inferno going on right outside the double doors. Anyone who left would be doomed, but a few people did enter - Harry could feel their minds touching his as they barrelled through with the artificial intention of causing harm, their ire dissolving into pure confusion the moment they stepped in the safe confines of the bubble he had created.

But something that big was bound to burst sooner or later, and no matter how long Harry tried to hold on, eventually it broke down with an almost palpable shiver in the air.

Harry didn’t feel Valentine’s signal anymore, but he was so exhausted he wouldn’t have been too surprised to find that his body just couldn’t respond to the violent impulses, and as the cool darkness of unconsciousness embraced him, he thought that at least he had tried, and that not many Kingsman could say to have died in their sleep - although most of them could say to have died at someone else’s hands.

At least Harry wouldn’t feel any pain, and even if it wasn’t the most dignified way to go, he could at least pass away feeling like a real life superhero, for once.

He had not expected to wake up, but when he did it was one week later, and the world was not in shambles like he had feared it would be. That meant someone at Kingsman must have received his message, that Arthur must have sent Merlin to take care of things, that the world was saved.

The news talked of a sudden, short outburst of worldwide rage, started and stopped out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, leaving everyone in fear of it happening again. The competent authorities were investigating, and Harry was sure it wouldn’t take them too long to figure out the SIM card treachery.

His brief coma had been pegged down as a consequence of his head injury, although the lapse in consciousness ought to have happened right away if that were the case. From the way the doctors and nurses eyed him, Harry wondered whether they knew he had saved them. If they had felt his mind, his power, and if they were now just pretending everything was normal to keep his secret. It was more of a thank you than any Harry had ever received, and although he wasn’t in his line of work to get people’s gratitude, he also felt a pleasant wave of happiness at the thought.

It wasn’t long before Harry was declared fit for travel, and he jumped on the first plane to London he could get a seat on. The police let him go without a second thought after V-day, having their theories over what had transpired at South Glade Mission Church.

Ten days after the massacre, Harry Hart was walking in the quaint little tailor shop in Savile Row, a wary expression on his face and a still healing wound on his left temple carefully wrapped up in pristine gauze.

His stomach was twisted into knots of apprehension at the thought of what might have happened to Eggsy, and he hoped someone would eventually show up to put him out of his misery - preferably the boy himself, or Merlin.

He tried to sense either man, hoping to feel their minds in his proximity, but he was still too worn out from everything that had happened to be very successful. Of course, they might very well be at the mansion, but no matter how Harry tried to reassure himself, he just couldn’t keep his mind from jumping to the worst conclusion.

* * *

Eggsy hadn’t slept a wink since Harry left for Kentucky. It was hard to get a good night's rest when every time you closed your eyes you were reminded of what you’d done. Reminded of what you’d seen done. Like a record player stuck on a loop, he saw it over and over.

It was one thing to watch the man he’d grown to cherish murder a church full of people - regardless of their innocence - and another to watch said person murdered before your very eyes in cold blood.

That one stuck with him. That one would stick with him until the day he died, and maybe even longer than that. That realisation pressed at his temples tenaciously, and for the first time since he’d met Harry, he almost wanted to forget…

It was hard to focus when all he saw was the damage he himself struck on Valentines base on the backs of his eyelids on repeat. Maybe those people deserved it, or maybe they didn’t, Eggsy really didn’t know. Ultimately though, it came down to a choice between them or him, and the answer was painfully obvious.

But either way his work was complete, and he got a pat on the back for a job well done. Only he knew deep down that rage he felt that day for Valentine was due to one thing and one thing only.

Harry.

Of course he cared about the rest of the world and all of its inhabitants, including his mum and sis, but the rage he felt was something else entirely; because somehow he knew Daisy and Michelle were alright, but Harry… he was far from it.

That feeling was unlike any he’d felt before. Something that was only experienced from losing something - no, some _one_ so special that a piece of you was literally missing in their absence. LIke you were in a room, and suddenly all the light was gone.

Eggsy cursed himself over and over, raising the question as to how he could be so bloody foolish. So damn stupid… he was so close to having everything, but just like said future with Harry it all slipped through the gaps of his fingers, running baron in his cracked and bloodied palms.

And no matter how hard he grabbed and begged for things to be different… He knew they never would be.

Today was the first day of the rest of his new life without Harry. Without his person. And even though it had been nearly two weeks, each day he woke felt exactly the same.

He strolled up the steps behind the counter of the shop, each step heavier and more burdened than the last. It took all of the little strength he had left to push through those double doors again. This debriefing should have been done days ago of course, but with the mess around the world surrounding them in thick smoky waves and a successful first mission, Merlin thought Eggsy least of all deserved a break.

When Eggsy did find the strength, Merlin had already been sitting at the head of the table. Not in any way to signal he wanted the power that came with the seat, but more out of remorse for everything they’d lost. Everyone they’d lost. The air was still between them for a moment before Eggsy forced a smile and pressed forward taking his - Galahad’s - seat reluctantly.

It had been but a few days but already he’s been promoted. His new name a symbol for what he’d lost and what he’d become… what he was and what he wasn’t. It felt sort of weird to him to have taken the name so suddenly, but he also knew Harry would have been proud and more than a little approving.

Merlin offered pleasantries in a tone as chipper as could be considered appropriate, then requested a full debrief going straight to business. Eggsy could tell he was hurting too, that he missed Harry, maybe close to the amount he did, but he also had a job to do, and a few days beak was all they could afford. This job was one Merlin had been doing far longer than Eggsy, and if things were to keep going smoothly for the rest of the school and organisation in general he had to stay focused.

Focused, yet still broken just like Eggsy was. But broken or not they couldn’t appear that way, so onto business it was.

Eggsy explained how he’d managed to strike Valentine down using his own girlfriend’s prosthetic leg to do it, after a far too long fight (In part because of his interference with time…) The means weren’t as important as the act itself being finished, but Eggsy did want to brag about his aim a bit, and his successful use of powers.

After all, if not for that throw they’d all probably be dead.

But even though their brief laughs were exchanged there was a heavy unease left floating through the air. As if they both felt guilty for enjoying a smile when their coworker, their friend - Eggsy’s world - would never have the chance to. This meeting could not be done and over fast enough, for without Harry time never went so slow, and coming from a man who had learned how to literally stop said time, that was saying quite a lot.

It wasn’t something he realised until Harry was gone, but he felt guilty in a way. Or maybe it was more along the lines of culpability. Either way, he’d have plenty of time during the rest of his life to feel accountable, and for now at least he was ready to try and ignore it for the sake of a few laughs with Merlin.

When Merlin’s questions pulled to an unceremonious end Eggsy slid himself from the table, and pushed back through those heavy double doors. Each step down was harder than the last. His legs felt like mush, and his body was broken, bruised like a constellation, and don’t even get him started on the mental toll his power had cost him.

He’d of liked to heal those wounds that decorated his body like art, but it turns out when you push time, it tends to push back, and he was nowhere near strong enough to resit.

But he had to stay strong. He had to keep going… he had to do it for-

“H… Harry?”

There he was, clear as day standing in the center of the shop… his back was turned, and his hands were stuffed elegantly into his pantsuit pockets. It took everything Eggsy had not to break down then and there - but he couldn’t even be certain he wasn’t just having some emotional breakdown.

He couldn’t be sure that Harry was really even there...

Who was he kidding? Of course he wasn’t there. Eggsy had watched him die with his very own eyes… he saw the bullet leave the chamber and fly straight at the camera - at him for all tense and purpose.

Harry Hart was dead… but then why was he standing before him now? No, not why…  How?

The cristalline sound of Eggsy’s voice caused relief to wash over Harry, his lungs expanding as if he had been underwater all this time, only realising so when he finally broke to the surface for air - and Eggsy was his first breath in ages.

Harry turned around to take in the sight of his boy, his heart stuttering with emotion upon seeing him in the suit Harry had made for him, and a smile stretched effortlessly on his lips as his shoulders slumped with relief.

“Hello, my darling boy,” he said, taking in the striking figure Eggsy cut in his new clothes, with Kingsman issued glasses to boot - proof that he had made it in their ranks after all. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Eggsy’s mouth parted for a moment before falling fully open in awe. He blinked back his surprise more than once, but was still unable to believe what his eyes were begging him to. He ran his gaze slowly up the long legs before him, hovering for a moment over those perfectly sculpted shoulders and toned arms he desperately needed to be between… Then ending finally on his face.

The most beautiful smile spread over those lips - the lips Eggsy was sure he’d never have the chance to kiss again, then stopped on his amber eyes; flicking between them faster than his heart was now beating in that cage he called a chest.

He could have sworn he’d seen Harry die… that he saw that bullet hit him dead center of his eye. But the man before him was nearly untouched aside from a bandage on the side of his temple...

And then suddenly it all made sense to him. Of course he was alright, this was Harry fucking Hart he was talking about. Gentleman spy with telepathy and bloody telekinesis… there was no way a bullet was going to stop him.

Really, Eggsy should have known.

What mattered though wasn’t that he’d fallen for the trick intended for Valentine and his goons, but that Harry was here, and more importantly that he was alive.

There was absolutely nothing holding him back now, so Eggsy pressed forward at a pace far quicker than a stroll, meeting Harry almost instantaneously. He slid his arms up and around Harry’s neck, holding tightly with eyes closed pressed together as he silently beg the universe to just let this be real.

“Harry, what the fuck.” He breathed into his neck, and technically it was a question, but Eggsy certainly didn’t phrase it that way as he pressed his mouth and nose to Harry’s neck; breathing him in like a breath of fresh air. “Don’t ever do that t’me again.”

To be able to hold Eggsy so close again was incredible - it felt almost impossible after the way they had parted ways before Harry’s presumed death.

“My dear, dear boy,” Harry repeated softly as he wrapped his arms tightly around Eggsy, burying his face against his soft hair, the endearment falling freely from his lips. “I can assure you it wasn’t my intention. I tried to communicate back to headquarters, but Kingsman protocols dictate that a dead operative’s communication lines are closed immediately to avoid security breaches,” he explained regretfully. “I tried contacting Arthur, but I’m assuming the message wasn’t forwarded to you… I thought you knew I was alive.”

“No… we all thought you was dead.” he confessed, still holding him tightly, not quite ready to tell him what had happened while he was… wherever the hell he’d been. But that reply didn’t warrant a response, and instead Harry went on to happier things.

“Look at you, the perfect picture of a Kingsman agent…” Harry couldn’t help but smile even more at that, his lips curling back to reveal the radiance of a full grin as he pulled back just enough to look into Eggsy’s eyes, pride shining in his own. “Did you save the world?”

Eggsy looked up at him finally, eyes light and full of blinding affection, almost as innocent as the boy he was all those months ago. “I did, yeah.” he smiled proudly, no longer feeling guilty for letting it pass. He slid one arm to Harry’s neck, the other still securely in place around at his shoulder, not allowing even a moment of separation. “Couldna done it without ya though.” he nearly purred, pressing his chest deeper into Harry, almost rocking side to side in silent music.

Harry might not have been with him that day, but it was his ‘death’ that fueled him. His death that gave him the strength and determination he needed… the power he needed to make everything right. It was because of Harry and what he’d done for him that Eggsy was even here right now - alive and well, and not dead like so many others.

He owed everything to the man, and truer words had never left his lips before.

“You have only yourself to thank for that, Eggsy. You saved the world on your own merit. Vengeance might have motivated you, but Merlin and Roxy surely were far more important than I could have been as a dead man,” Harry said softly, wanting Eggsy to take credit for his own accomplishments. “As always, all I did was nudge you in the right direction,” he said, pressing a tiny kiss to Eggsy’s forehead.

After doing so, though, he realised that just because Eggsy was relieved to see him it didn’t mean he had no reason to still be angry at him, and Harry actually flushed for the first time in years.

“Eggsy… you must forgive me for the things I said before I left. I wasn’t angry at you, not really. I was just so heartbroken at what we might have lost, and I took it out on you when I shouldn’t have. But if Arthur made you into a Kingsman, nothing can stand between us - unless, of course, that is not what you want,” he said, worry etched on his features at he studied Eggsy’s face, afraid of the emotions he might find there.

“Listen Harry… a lots happened these last few days.” he paused, only slightly pulling away from the embrace he craved at this point. Not fully, but just enough to look him straight in the eyes, Eggsy owed him that much. “For starters… Arthurs dead. He was in on it with Valentine. I’m sorry.” he offered a momentary pause to allow Harry a much needed adjustment period, but in truth he would need far longer than the time supplied.

Eggsy didn’t need to be able to read the minds of others to know what thoughts were bouncing around the one before him; they were decorated beautifully across his face and were read like the pages of a book. Harry was worried, and coming from someone who spent the better part of a week thinking he was dead, he really did know the taste.

“Second is,” he paused once more, this time more out of fun than anything else, standing high on his toes as he continue. His words slow, deliberate and sweet like honey, yet somehow still cheeky and playful. “that there ain’t nothin’ I want more than t’be with you.”

Those words smoothed the worried creases on Harry’s brow, both the ones put there by the troubling news of Arthur’s betrayal and the ones about where he and Eggsy stood together, at that point. Harry’s eyes went a bit wide, too, because he couldn’t believe just how forgiving his boy could be.

“Oh, Eggsy,” he said, wrapping his arms more tightly around the boy and pulling him even closer, pressing a kiss to the side of his nose, too enthusiastic and happy to actually bother to aim properly for Eggsy’s lips. “You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world.”

Eggsy didn’t even care that that made two times now Harry had kissed some place other than his lips. Because this, just being in his arms again after the sickening weight and fear crippled him, was enough. Better than the sun after months of rain, better than a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

There was nothing he could think of that could come close to topping the way that ardent embrace felt, and in that moment he was so completely taken that the world could be ending again, and he wouldn’t have even noticed.

But taken or not there was only one thing that could make this better.

“You ever gonna get that right?” he asked raising a brow, his mouth pulling about playfully.

Harry smirked at Eggsy’s cheek, and shook his head fondly. “Patience is a gentleman’s greatest virtue,” he teased right back, leaning in to press his forehead against Eggsy’s. Patience, of course, truly was an excellent virtue, but Harry found he was all out of it right then, and that there was nothing more that he wanted other than kiss Eggsy.

He couldn’t give a toss about manners right then.

Slowly, Harry leaned in to close the gap between them, wanting to drag the moment of their reunion out a bit longer, and just as their lips were about to touch-

“Harry Hart, you bloody wanker,” Merlin’s voice interrupted them from where the man was standing on the stairs that lead to the boardroom, a very amused looking Andrew standing just behind him. “Can’t you even be arsed come to say hello before trying to get a leg over?”

It was amazing how they could never seem to get things on with, but Harry had to laugh at those words spoken in that terribly irritated brogue, the tone endearingly familiar.

“I didn’t think you’d want a kiss, too,” Harry said lightly, and although he didn’t mention it then, he filed away the fact that Merlin had slipped his fingers under his glasses to wipe a stray tear away with the excuse of rubbing at his eyes in exasperation. He would tease the Scotsman about it - sooner, rather than later - but for now he was too incandescently happy to do anything other than grin like a loon.

“No way.” Eggsy shook his head several times with lips pursed in protest, still nearly chest to chest with Harry despite the addition of Merlin and Andrew. He removed one hand, pointing lazily towards them as he narrowed his eyes and continued. “You ain’t ruinin’ this for me, Merlin.”

A second later he turned to Harry, the face he wore full of feigned shock and utter admiration. An interesting combination he realised, but accurate nonetheless. But honestly, he was so sick of being interrupted that he very nearly stopped time just to get that bloody kiss.

Fortunately however, the smile Harry shone down at him was enough for Eggsy to say fuck it, and before anyone else could protest, he pulled Harry’s tie forward until those lips finally hit their mark.

Harry couldn’t even bring himself to laugh at those words, enraptured as he was by Eggsy’s beauty. Needless to say, he didn’t protest to being pulled in that kiss, and allowed the world to disappear behind the his boy’s brilliance.

Nothing else mattered - in fact, Harry was pretty sure nothing else would _ever_ matter again - not now that he had Eggsy in his arms, and it didn’t take special abilities to know that, as long as they were together, everything in the world would be right.

And, when it wasn’t, they would save it.

Together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! We hope you enjoyed our story - we certainly had a lot of fun writing it!


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